When The Darkness Overtakes Your Soul
by My Whole Life Is Thunder
Summary: Life can be unnecessarily cruel sometimes. That was no secret to the Major Case Response Team. They dealt with the worst of humanity, the worst of life everyday. They had endured so much personal pain. That they had grown jaded to even personal tragedy or so they thought. Then one of their own faces the ultimate tragedy and even their fearless leader struggles to bring him back.
1. Prologue

Life can be unnecessarily cruel sometimes. That was no secret to anyone currently or formerly associated with the Major Case Response Team. While most people only witnessed the cruelty of life a handful of times. They and so many others in law enforcement witnessed it on just about a daily basis. After a while it just became a part of life. Still when a tragedy strikes close to home. It can break even the strongest person. That was another lesson that Team Gibbs and co. learned far too often. They had all endured so much in their pasts and in the time they were a family. That sometimes it was as it felt like they were jaded even to personal tragedies. That is until one of their own had his world completely knocked off axis. Losing everything in the blink of an eye. When even the fearless leader who had felt that exact pain years ago. Struggled to bring his friend back from the abyss.

* * *

It had started out as a nice evening for the Palmer's. Breena had made a nice dinner and Jimmy had attached Tori's baby car to the back of his bicycle and taken her on a nice ride ,round the block. On the way back he had secretly treated her to a mini mouse ice-cream pop. The family had enjoyed a lovely dinner and then they watched "Finding Nemo" until it was time to get Victoria ready for bed. Breena bathed her and Jimmy had read her a story. Then they both kissed her good night and tucked her into bed. Once Tori was safely in bed. Jimmy and Breena curled up together on the couch and watched FXX's "Every Simpsons Ever" Thursday night marathon.

"Well this is nice but we have a staff meeting in the morning. So I've got to be up and ready for work an hour early." Breena said around ten.

"Sleep well I will probably be up soon. I just want to digest my snack a bit more and I am waiting on a call from Tony." Jimmy replied.

"Alright check on Tori before you come up. I will check her now." Breena replied.

"Of course" Jimmy replied.

* * *

After Breena went to bed Jimmy stretched out on the couch and grabbed his phone. Tony had been back in DC for about a month now after spending the summer in Israel and Paris. Tali had hit a growth spurt not long after they got back and Tony had offered Jimmy some of the clothes she had collected over the summer. They would likely only work for a few weeks but Breena was wanting another baby and he could always exchange anything that wouldn't work for more clothes for the girls at the consignment shop. Jimmy must have fallen asleep because next thing he knew it was eleven. He stretched and checked his phone. Deciding that Tony wouldn't be calling him. He grabbed his phone and headed up to bed. He must have slept harder than he thought downstairs, because by the time he got upstairs he was feeling restless. He headed into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of milk. He got nasty indigestion if he drank milk too fast. So he checked social media between sips. He saw a picture Tony had posted that morning of himself and Tali outside of her daycare. She was getting so big and looking more like Ziva every day. Jimmy imagined that Tony loved that. That afternoon there was another picture of Tony and Tali outside of their apartment building. The afternoon picture was taken half an hour before the text Tony had sent to him. In the text about the clothes. Tony had said that he would call either after Tali and him got back from the grocery store or after dinner. Jimmy couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Tony was usually pretty punctual. Of course then again he had a kid now. So there was always the possibility that he had lost track of time or Tali wasn't behaving and Tony couldn't get out. After a while his milk was only half gone but he was sick of social media. So he took a sip and then rested his head on the table and closed his eyes. He was jarred awake by the sound of his phone ringing. He saw that it was Tony calling and pressed accept. Never expecting just how much pain the call would bring...

* * *

Jimmy didn't remember getting off the phone with Tony or any of the events that followed. He was in a daze from the time he sat upright at the kitchen table. Until he slammed on his breaks in Gibbs's driveway. He jumped out of the car and rushed up onto the porch, his heart about to beat out of his chest. He knew that Gibbs had an open door policy and even if that weren't the case. This was a definite emergency. Still it was four o'clock in the morning and a sniper wasn't exactly the type of person you wanted to startle. Unless of course you were fond of getting a bullet in between the eyes. So he just stood there pounding on the door and screaming for Gibbs. Until the door swung open and he saw an exhausted and annoyed looking Gibbs standing in front of him.

"What the hell are you doing pounding on my door at four in the morning?" Gibbs demanded.

"Oh Gibbs thank God. Gibbs I am so glad you are here. Oh Gibbs it's so bad. Please Gibbs. You have to help. Gibbs it's so bad. Oh God Gibbs. It's the worst!" Jimmy rambled.

"What are you talking about?" Gibbs questioned.

"Gibbs... Gibbs... Oh God! Gibbs!" Jimmy cried.

"What is wrong with you?" Gibbs demanded.

"I...I T...T he...he...he! She... T...T de...dee! Oh God! Nooo! No! NO!" Jimmy sobbed.

"Pull yourself together!" Gibbs ordered, slapping Jimmy hard on the back of the head.

"OK... OK... OK" Jimmy sighed.

"Are we good?" Gibbs asked.

"I think so." Jimmy wheezed.

"Great now tell me what the hell is going on and why the hell you are standing on my porch screaming and rambling like a stroke victim at four o'clock in the morning?" Gibbs questioned.

"It's Tali" Jimmy sighed.

"What about her?" Gibbs questioned.

"She... She's... Gibbs Tali is dead." Jimmy cried. The words burning his mouth as he choked them out.

* * *

 **A/N: What do you think? Should I continue? Chapter two will be Tony's side of the story. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	2. A Life Destroyed

Tony stood in the doorway and watched his baby girl sleep. He loved the way the sun would shine on her in her bed. Her hair and skin took on a beautiful golden tone and she just looked so peaceful. Tali was such a special girl who had so much of her mother in her. He often wondered if Tali would remember Ziva or not. She was barely two when Ziva was killed and most people didn't have memories until they were two or older. That is why he ultimately decided to move back to DC. So that Tali could grow up surrounded by people who knew and remembered her mom. That and quite frankly he missed his family. They were in Paris when Senior fell back into his old habits. Tony had gone out for the day and Senior had left Tali alone to go be with a whore. After that Tony realized that his dad would never be reliable and Tali deserved better than that. It was time to come home or find stability anyway. He had money saved up between the settlement he got from NCIS as compensation for the plague filled envelope getting through the mail-room. He also set aside a few bucks every month for a rainy day. There was also money from Ziva. She had inherited Eli's estate and after making a few repairs to the farm house and making a few splurges. She had put the rest in a trust for Tali should anything happen to her. Even though he figured he could make the money last for two years if he lived modestly. He was itching back to work. Once he was back in DC; Jimmy helped him find a townhouse, Ducky helped him land a job as a phys ed and basketball coach at a local middle school, and Gibbs stepped up for the role of grandfather. Single fatherhood was not easy but with the help of his family he was making it work.

* * *

The main advantage to being a phys ed coach was that except during basketball season. Which wouldn't start until October, Tony had most afternoons free to spend with Tali. He would also get all the major holidays and summers off to be with her. Even better that year his planning period was seventh period, so if he could he would clock out early and get an extra forty-five minutes with his baby girl. He knew that time would be precious one day. He just didn't realize how soon it would be and he certainly didn't know why. He just assumed that it would be because Tali had grown up and they fought as parents and kids did. He could never imagine that in a matter of hours his life would be flipped on it's axis. He just smiled as he walked out of the daycare center holding his baby girl's hand. He needed to get some groceries but Tali needed a nap and an afternoon snack. They went home first and, Tali and him split the leftover squash macaroni and cheese from the night before. He then tucked Tali in for her afternoon nap. While she slept he packed away her outgrown clothes. Some would go to the consignment shop that weekend and others would go to the Palmer's for Tori. He texted Jimmy that he had some clothes for Tori and that he would call after he got done at the store.

"Tali! Time to get up!" Tony called.

"Abba!" Tali cried running into his arms.

"OK I am going to give you a fresh diaper and then we are going to the grocery store." Tony explained.

"Cookies?" Tali asked.

"Yes I will get you some cookies." Tony assured.

"YAY!" Tali cried.

* * *

The trip to the grocery store was fairly easy for a shopping trip involving a toddler. There was only one fit and it was resolved quickly. Tali just looked so cute pushing the little kid sized cart up and down the aisles. While Tony followed close behind with the full sized cart. The checkout girl took a liking to Tali as most people did and turned her back while Tali took two lollipops. Once they were done Tony got Tali loaded into her car-seat and then loaded the groceries into the car. He pulled back into his parking-lot. He carried a sleeping Tali inside along with the bags containing his cold and frozen food. He left Tali sleeping in her bed and then put away the perishables. After making sure that Tali was still asleep, before heading out for the rest of the groceries. By the time everything was put away and the car was locked, Tali was awake and wanting to play.

"Can we go for a walk, Abba?" Tali asked.

"Sure" Tony replied.

* * *

Tony got Tali changed and then they were on their way. Tali carried her stuffed dog with her and insisted on bringing her wagon. Even though it was nearly as big as she was. He figured that when she got tired, he could just put her inside and drag her around in it. Tali truly was a miniature Ziva and loved going fast. Sure enough they got about halfway around the block Tali was tired. He laughed and carefully lifted her into the wagon. He held on tight to the handle and ran as fast as he could. Tali waved her arms and cheered as he ran. By the third lap around the block Tony was exhausted. He turned back into the parking-lot and did his best to ignore Tali's groans of frustration. He got to his unit and left Tali in the wagon on the side walk while he caught his breath and drank from the water bottle he had clipped to his belt-clip. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something black and that was it. The next thing he knew there was a horrible crunching noise and then he went flying onto the grass. It was then that he saw the truck slamming into the cars parked out front and then speeding off minus a front bumper. By the time Tony had pulled himself up several neighbors had gathered around the sidewalk. His heart stopped and then shattered when he saw what the commotion was. The truck had knocked him over and damaged several cars but before doing that. It had hit Tali in her wagon and set her flying about fifty feet. He fought through the horrible pain in his arm and side to get to his baby girl, he shoved through his neighbors and fell down to his knees by her side. She was twisted and bloody in a way that would make even Gibbs' stomach churn but some how she still had a pulse.

"She's alive, call an ambulance!" Tony called.

* * *

The next few hours passed through in a blur of heartache and fear. Tony had no recollection of the ambulance ride, only seeing Tali rushed away once they arrived to the hospital. He sat alone in the back corner of the waiting room. As far away as he could get from everybody else. He wanted his family but he had foolishly left his phone on the kitchen table before leaving the house. He had thought that it would only be a short walk. He wasn't expecting Tali to get hurt much less hit by a car. Somebody offered him their phone to call for somebody but he could not remember anyone's number. He could only think of Tali. In the second hour of waiting the pain in his arm and side became unbearable. He called for a nurse and somehow formed the sentences to explain that he had been hit by the truck as well. He was rushed back for X-rays. Still having no idea if his baby girl was alive or not. In the end his diagnosis was a broken arm and two cracked ribs. His arm was bandaged and he was given pain pills for the ribs. They also wanted him observed for shock and internal injuries. He was put into a room and fell into a fitful sleep. He came to sometime in the late hours of the evening. For a moment he was in a daze but all too soon the movement came rushing back to him. He remembered seeing Tali on the ground. That's when he remembered that hours had passed. He prayed that there was an update on her sweet girl and even more he prayed that he would receive good news. He grabbed the bed remote and called for a nurse. Moments later a tall blonde woman in crisp pink scrubs came into his room. She picked up his clipboard and her face fell.

"Hello, Mr. DiNozzo. I am Nurse Jeannie." Jeannie greeted in a tone conveying false perkiness.

"My daughter Tali. Was brought in. She was hit by a car." Tony rambled.

"Oh" Jeannie replied.

"How is she? Where is she?" Tony asked.

"Mr. DiNozzo, your daughter was brought in with grave injuries. Nearly every bone in her body was broken, many were shattered. Her brain-stem was practically severed from her skull and she has several other traumatic brain injuries. Her ribs have punctured her heart and lungs. Her spleen and kidneys are ruptured. She has a severe tear in the liver and massive internal bleeding. Her face and scalp were all but ripped off of her head. Her body is scraped beyond recognition and she has suffered three strokes since being brought in." Jeannie explained.

"So she's dead?" Tony gasped.

"She is alive but she is on total life-support. It is up to you to turn off the machines and let nature take it's course or keep her on life-support but even with aide. It is unlikely that she will last more than twenty-four hours. I am sorry." Jeannie explained.

"Where is she?" Tony asked.

"She is in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit but if you choose to remover her from life-support. We will move her to a private room." Jeannie explained.

"I want to see her." Tony sniffed.

"I will get a wheelchair." Nurse Jeannie replied.

* * *

Jeannie brought Tony up to the PICU where Tali was slowly dying. His heart was breaking but he knew that the kind thing to do was to remove her from life-support and let her go be with her mother. Telling the doctor was the hardest thing he ever had to do. Tali was deemed too weak to be moved to another room. So Tony was forced to stand in the middle of the PICU and watch his baby girl die. He climbed into the bed and picked her up. He held her close and buried his face in her hair. Even with all the blood and medical scents. He could still smell the strawberry, watermelon, kiwi soap that he had washed her with that morning. Again he wanted his family but he could not leave his baby girl's side. Even if he could leave her. He could barely remember her name let alone anyone else's phone numbers.

"Tali, baby girl, my angel. I love you so much. You are the light of my life. You are so much like your mother. I miss her so much but not near as much as I am going to miss you. Goodbye, I love you so much. I will never forget you. At least you won't hurt anymore and you will be back with your mother. I love you so much." Tony sobbed.

* * *

Tali was so much like her mother. Despite all the pain and the damage to her internal organs. Her heart continued to beat for a full five minutes after the machines were removed. Long enough for Tony to hug her and say all that he needed to say. He knew that as desperately as he tried. He would never forget the sound of her heart monitor screaming after she took her final breath. He collapsed onto the bed in a fit of hysterical tears. His entire world had been destroyed again and this time their would be nobody to give him hope. After a while somebody came and took Tali's body away and somebody else brought him back to his room. As he got back into bed the phone by his bed caught his eye. In a flash he managed to remember Jimmy's number. It was three-thirty in the morning but he needed Gibbs and he knew that Jimmy would get Gibbs for him. He grabbed the phone and frantically dialed Jimmy's number. Praying that he would remember it long enough for the call to be made.

"Hello?"

"Jimmy!"

"Tony it's three-thirty in the morning. Are you OK?"

"No! No I am not!"

"Tony what's wrong?"

"Tali got hit by a car this afternoon!"

"Oh Tony is she OK?"

"No! Jimmy! She's dead! My baby girl is dead!"

"Oh Tony I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"Gibbs, get me Gibbs. I need Gibbs."

"Of course"

"Oh yeah I am at Mercy Methodist Hospital"

"OK I will get Gibbs, ASAP."

"Thank you"

* * *

 **A/N: How will Tony cope with the gruesome death of his daughter? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	3. When It All Falls Apart

In an instant Tony's entire life had been destroyed. He was still refusing to breathe that Tali was dead. He just wanted to wake up and discover that this was a terrible dream. He just wanted to hold her in his arms again, and he wanted it to his Tali. Not the broken shell of a girl he had held in her final moments on Earth. He wasn't sure if Tali even knew that he was there. He just thanked God that her spinal cord was severed at the brain-stem and she was not feeling any pain. At least he prayed that was the case. He hated the idea of his daughter being in pain. Letting her go was the hardest decision he had ever made but he knew in his heart it was the right thing to do. At least she was with Ziva now. Ziva, his mom Elizabeth, Rivkah David, her namesake Tali, Kate, Jenny, Mike, Michelle, Director Morrow, Dorneget, Jack and Anne Gibbs, Shannon and Kelly, Palmer's parents, Abby's, Ducky's parents and brother, Walter Magnus, and so many more. Some he had forgotten others he knew but there were simply too many to name individually. He had lost so many people in his life. He was only forty-five years old for Pete's Sake. He knew people Ducky's age who had been to less funerals and laid less flowers at cemeteries than he had. Now he would have to bury his little girl. He would spend her birthdays at the cemetery instead of where ever he the hot kiddie party spot was. Her Christmas and Easter gifts would be flowers instead of the toys he had dreamed of buying her. He would never walk her to her first day of school on a cool morning in September, he would not watch her walk across the stage on a hot night in June. Their would be no boys to scare off, no tears at her graduation, no grandbabies. He hated whoever had been driving that truck. He hated himself for not bringing Tali closer to the house before he caught his breath. He hated his neighbors who were in their yards for not calling out to him. So that he would have at least had a chance to save her life. It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair. He had only had his family for four months and now he was alone again. The pain meds were beginning to wear off but he did not have the strength to call for a nurse and even if he did it wouldn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore.

* * *

Gibbs was beyond furious. The staff had refused to let him see his boy until morning. He knew that they were right. Tony did need his rest. Just the fact that he was actually sleeping was a miracle to Gibbs. Until he was informed by a nurse that Tony had a broken arm and broken ribs. He was not sleeping peacefully, he was in a drug induced sleep. Jimmy had come with him to the hospital but he had to leave. Breena had an early meeting and Jimmy had to handle Tori's morning routine. Gibbs was actually glad that Jimmy left. It would be better for Tony if it were just him there. Jimmy meant well but he did not know the pain of losing a child. There was that failed adoption and Gibbs knew that was a horrible pain but the death of a child was completely different. At least that kid the Palmer's almost adopted and at least there was a chance that their paths would cross again one day. Tony would never see Tali again. Just like he would never see Kelly again. His heart was breaking for Tony. He had prayed that none of his team would lose a child. Getting that call from Jimmy had been like being punched simultaneously in the gut and the balls. He hated that it had happened to any of his family but Tony was just pure cruelty. Tony had been through as much heartbreak as he had. They had both lost their mothers young, both had lost numerous woman they had loved. To both death and horrific break-ups. They had both lost the loves of their lives. His Shannon and Tony's Ziva. Now they had both lost little girls. His Kelly and Tony's Tali. He spent the remaining hours of the night sitting up in the waiting room fearing for his son.

"You may go back now Agent Gibbs." The receptionist called at eight in the morning.

* * *

The walk back to Tony's room felt as if it were a mile long. Gibbs was actually scared to death to open the door. He was terrified of what he would find. He remembered those first hours and days after Shannon and Kelly. He could actually recall stepping on the bomb and then having to learn of their deaths again after he woke from the coma. He had seen Tony broken before but never like this. Tony was balled up on the bed, facing away from the door. Gibbs could hear him crying from the far end of the hall. He slowly walked over and put his hands on Tony's shoulder.

"I'm here" Gibbs said.

"It happened right in front of me. She got hit by a truck. I went flying. I was conscious. I saw her lying on the sidewalk. She died in my arms last night. Everything is broken." Tony sobbed.

"This is not going to be easy. In fact it is going to be the hardest thing you have ever endured but you will get through it. I will get you through it, I will never give up on you." Gibbs explained.

* * *

McGee rushed through the elevator doors. He had not wanted to be late but it had just been one of those mornings. The lift in Delilah's van had shorted out and it was going to be in the shop for at least a week. The resolution was supposed to be as simple as him driving her to and from work in his Prius. Since the chair easily fit in the back but he had found a nail in the tire. Penelope regularly drove the handicapped members of her church around. She had a lift and everything. Unfortunately she had loaned it to the youth group so they could take a member with Cerebral Palsy along to a Christian concert that weekend. That only left Sarah's tiny two seater. He could drive that but there was no way he could fit Delilah's chair in the back. Finally he got his neighbor to agree to drive Delilah in his pickup. In exchange for tutoring his son in Math. The neighbor dropped them off at the bus stop. Just as the bus was driving away. McGee had finally made it to work. Two hours late. Already completely exhausted and fully expecting to be torn a new one by Gibbs. He had always thought that Gibbs was hard on Tony because he was kind of a jackass. No it was because Gibbs expected nothing but the best from his second in command. He raced into the bullpen gasping for breath, he was shocked to see that Gibbs' desk was empty. He checked his watch fully expecting to see that all the clocks were wrong and there was in fact time to spare. No it was definitely ten fifteen in the morning. Bishop was sitting at her desk, looking as pissed off as he was.

"Oh good you're here. I was starting to thing we had the day off and nobody told me." Bishop commented.

"No I just had the worst morning ever. Delilah's van is still in the shop. So of course I find a nail in the tire. It took an hour just to find a way to get Delilah to work. Then we missed the bus and that was another twenty minutes. I seriously came this close to just calling us both in." McGee explained.

"I'm sorry but I think I can top that. I spent three hours last night dealing with my grandma. She found out that Jake and I are divorced and she spent three hours lecturing me on the evils of divorce and insisting that I could work it out." Bishop explained.

"I am sorry." McGee apologized.

"Now is not the time for comparisons of the various annoyances of life. We all need to be reminded of how lucky we are. We all need to hug our loved ones every chance we get. Tonight, Timothy your burdens with Delilah could be a happy memory and all you have to hold onto. Same for your arguments with your grandmother, Eleanor." Ducky explained solemnly.

"Ducky is this your way of telling us that Gibbs is dead?!" McGee cried.

"Yeah I mean he is never late." Bishop agreed.

"Jethro is still with us. My melancholy mood this morning is regarding Anthony." Ducky replied grimly.

"Tony's dead?!" McGee cried.

"Anthony is still alive. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to say. I very rarely have to break the news of a death. Timothy, Eleanor I am afraid that Tali was killed in a hit in run yesterday evening. Anthony was hurt as well but has only minor injuries. He was released to Jethro this morning. Needless to say Anthony has a long road ahead of him. For that reason Jethro is taking a leave of absence to look after him." Ducky explained.

"No!" Bishop cried.

"Poor Tony" McGee gasped.

"It is rather tragic. I do not know any details yet but Jethro did ask that you give Anthony privacy. He is currently not in the mood for visitors. If you have any questions please speak to Jethro or Mr. Palmer. I am not sure how Leon will handle the team being down to two but he is going to speak with you shortly. I just wanted to ensure that you did not get the news attached to a reassignment folder or via social media. My office is always open if you need to speak and I love you both very much. Please tell everybody you love them every chance you get. Yesterday was a reminder that you honestly never know when it will all be yanked away." Ducky explained.

* * *

 **A/N: Certainly a sobering experience for McGee and Bishop. Will they everybody be able to respect Tony's privacy? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	4. Surrealism

It was really surreal for Tony to wake up the evening in Gibbs' guest room. He knew that he was going to Gibbs'. He always went to Gibbs' after a hospital stay. He always had a reaction to pain killers and he could not be trusted alone. He always stayed with Gibbs when things were bad too. Tali and him had stayed there when they first got back to the states. Things were different this time however. Normally when he stayed with Gibbs he was relaxed and happy. It was like staying with the fun uncle who let you stay up late and eat all the junk food you wanted. This time waking up in the guest room was like waking up in some weird purgatory for broken souls. He sat up on the bed and found a glass of water and two pain killers sitting on the bedside table. He stood, opened the window and threw the pills out onto the lawn. He chugged the water and then tossed the glass down onto the floor. He picked up the pieces and squeezed them hard into his hands. Trails of blood snaked their way down his arms as the shards embedded themselves into his palm. Bleeding to death that would be perfect. Slow and painful just like Tali, exactly what he deserved. Unfortunately death was not an option, not with Gibbs present. He yanked the blood soaked shards out of his hand and thrust them out the window. He slammed the window shut and stormed downstairs. He found Gibbs sitting at the table. When he saw Tony, the older man stood, walked over, and embraced his surrogate son.

"I'm here." Gibbs whispered.

"Tali" Tony whispered.

"I know" Gibbs replied.

"When does this stop?!" Tony cried.

"I doesn't stop but you learn to cope." Gibbs explained.

"I should have stopped it!" Tony cried.

"Tony I saw the preliminary police report. Your neighbor Mrs. Rosenthal was watering and she said that the car just came out of no where. She started to call out but before she could open her mouth they had hit Tali." Gibbs explained.

"I should have moved the wagon before I stopped!" Tony cried.

"Tony you were out of breath." Gibbs reminded.

"And now Tali will never breathe again! It was my fault. I forgot my inhaler." Tony rambled.

"Just come here. Come here and let it out." Gibbs whispered, as he calmly stroked Tony's back.

* * *

Back at NCIS the mood was somber at best. McGee had gone home around lunch time, Bishop remained and put her mind into her paperwork. Abby had stayed mainly because there was nobody else to do it. Down in autopsy Ducky and Jimmy were facing a horrible task. Tali's body had been delivered around an hour ago. Originally she was to be autopsied in the hospital's morgue but Ducky had insisted that he was the only one to do the task. It would be painful but he owed to Anthony, to sweet little Tali, to Ziva. He stood over the mangled body. The body that he refused to believe belonged to the vibrant little girl he had minded the previous Sunday while Anthony ran a few errands. He could not imagine the pain that Anthony must be enduring right now. He looked up and saw Mr. Palmer nervously hanging back, the sick green look on his face that the doctor had not seen in many years. It was also clear that the younger man had been crying.

"Mr. Palmer I would fully understand if you felt the need to sit this one out." Ducky remarked.

"No it's fine but why are we doing this? We know how she died." Jimmy remarked.

"They wanted to check the state of her internal organs. There is only so much that can be detected by machines." Ducky explained.

"It's scary." Jimmy commented.

"What is?" Ducky questioned.

"How easily this could have been Tori. I had her out on the bike last night. I didn't think anything of it but this could have been her." Jimmy explained.

"But it wasn't." Ducky reminded.

"But it could have been!" Jimmy cried.

"Go home Mr. Palmer. It is obvious that you need to hug your little girl and just enjoy the precious moments you have with her." Ducky insisted.

"Are you sure you don't need me?" Jimmy asked.

"I have worked alone before." Ducky replied.

"Goodbye Tali, your father loved you very much." Jimmy whispered, before turning, wiping a single tear from his eye, and leaving the room.

* * *

Deep down Jimmy was grateful that Dr. Mallard had sent him home. It wasn't that he didn't think he could handle Tali's autopsy. He had come to follow Ducky's advice of turning himself off before he preformed an autopsy. It was the painful reminder that it could have been Tori, that even if he did everything right. Tori could still die at any second, that he did not think he could handle burying a child and he doubted his marriage could. He came home and found Breena sitting on the couch.

"You're home early." Breena remarked.

"We were preforming Tali's autopsy and I just needed to get home." Jimmy explained.

"Oh I had so hoped that was just a nightmare." Breena gasped.

"God me too. Tony hasn't wanted any visitors yet but I talked to Gibbs. He's really messed up." Jimmy explained.

"Is there anything we can do?" Breena asked.

"For now just enjoy every second we got with Tori." Jimmy explained.

* * *

Jimmy and Breena walked upstairs to their daughter's room. They saw Tori sitting up in her crib shaking one of her bottles and giggling. She was one year old, so sweet and innocent, and she had already lost a friend. The world was just too cruel sometimes.

* * *

Gibbs sat alone in his far too cold and far too dark basement. Tony was upstairs crying his eyes out and there was nothing he could do to make him feel better. He wanted nothing more than to take every bit of his son's pain away. He walked over to the shelf unit and found the picture of him, Shannon, and Kelly that he kept in one of the bins. He found a two sided frame he had built a few years ago and never found a use for. He slipped the picture of Shannon and Kelly out of it's original frame and placed it into the two sided frame. He went upstairs to Tony's room and found the picture the McGee had photoshopped so that Tony could have a picture of his family together. He slid that picture into the double frame. He placed the frame downstairs on the mantle.

"Hope you girls are having fun together. I will take care of Tony and I know that he will take care of me." Gibbs whispered into the darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: I know it's unlikely that Tali would have been autopsied but I wanted the interaction between Ducky and Jimmy. New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	5. Day Three

Outside Tony's window a storm was raging through Alexandria. It was not a horrible storm but it was more intense than most of the late night storms you saw this time of year. A raging storm was pretty accurate for his feelings right now. Part of him was holding onto hope that a tornado would touch down and sweep him away. It was just him and Gibbs in the house and it's not like Gibbs wasn't missing people as well. He was struggling to adjust to the new normal that was his life. Sleep was not so easy without the pain pills. In fact he had never been more exhausted in his life but he could not make himself fall asleep. Which was actually kind of a blessing. Anytime he closed his eyes he saw Tali's mangled body lying on the sidewalk. He could hear Gibbs moving around downstairs. Part of him wanted to go and see what was going on but part of him was afraid that Gibbs would take his being awake as a bad sign. He was broken but he did not not want to end up in the hospital with the other crazy people. He heard a little girl screaming somewhere in the distance. Not like she was endangered more like the way that little kids screamed when they were not getting their way. For a brief moment he thought it was Tali. He was out of bed and heading towards the door before he remembered. He wasn't even halfway to the bed when the door opened and Gibbs stepped inside. He felt the older man embrace him and guide him to the bed.

"I still turn around when I hear a little girl calling for her daddy." Gibbs admitted.

"I'm never going to be OK am I?" Tony asked.

"Depends on your definition of OK." Gibbs replied.

"Being able to get through just one day, just one hour before being reminded of how fucked up your life is." Tony replied.

"I wish I could say that goes away but it doesn't." Gibbs replied.

"So how the hell do you live?" Tony demanded.

"I don't know I guess I am just used to it." Gibbs replied.

"Life sucks" Tony sniffed.

"I know" Gibbs agreed.

"Can't you at least pretend like I will be normal again?!" Tony cried.

"I may not always treat you and your teammates the way I should. Sometimes I go way over the line and actually be borderline abusive. I apologize for that. I am an asshole but I would never lie to you to protect your feelings." Gibbs explained.

"That's what I need now." Tony whined.

"Yes but that is NOT what you will need later. Sooner or later you are going to need the truth and the truth is it never goes away." Gibbs explained.

"This sucks" Tony sniffed.

"I know it does, believe me but here is the good news. You are not alone." Gibbs assured.

"This is not how I wanted us to bond." Tony sniffed.

"Believe me I know." Gibbs assured.

* * *

The next day the team had gathered around Tony and Tali's former home. They stood around on the sidewalk where the accident had happened. The local LEO's were investigating the accident and for one everybody was actually grateful to hand a case over to somebody else. It had been bad enough for Ducky having to preform the autopsy. The autopsy had confirmed the doctor's diagnosis. Every one of Tali's bones had been broken and her organs had been crushed and mangled. Her neck had been snapped in a way that usually meant instant death but somehow Tali had held on. What Ducky could not answer was the hardest question of all. Had Tali felt any pain? Ducky wanted an answer but he could not provide one. All he could do was tell himself that Tali had not suffered. That the neck and brain injuries had left her paralyzed and numb. That and take solace in knowing that she wasn't hurting now.

"The report says that the car hit Tali but went off the sidewalk before hitting Tony. Tony was knocked back by the force. Then the car went back on the sidewalk taking out several cars parked directly in front of the homes and a few lawn decorations." McGee explained.

"Wow" Bishop gasped.

"Poor Tony." Abby replied.

"Terrible." Ducky agreed.

"It doesn't make sense." Jimmy commented.

"It certainly does not Mr. Palmer. One of the greatest tragedies I have ever witnessed." Ducky explained.

"No the car hitting Tali but not Tony. It was certainly going fast enough. It hit Tali but missed Tony then got back on the sidewalk. It doesn't add up." Jimmy explained.

"The driver was likely impaired." Abby scoffed.

"I know but Tali was right beside Tony. How did he not get hit too?" Jimmy questioned.

"That is odd." Bishop agreed.

"It is" Abby added.

"I guess I was not thinking about that." Ducky whispered.

"I hope you are wrong Jimmy. I shudder at the thought of this being intentional." McGee commented.

"Me too but it doesn't add up as an accident." Jimmy replied.

"I guess I need to contact the LEO's." McGee replied.

"Do any of you remember the names of the officers working the case?" Abby asked.

"Not off hand but it is in the report." Bishop replied.

* * *

Three days had passed since Tali's death and Tony could put it off no longer. It was time to call Senior and break the news to him. Gibbs had spent the morning helping him set up the service, purchase the cemetery plot, look at head stones, and arrange the obituary. Now they could put it off no longer. It was time to beak the news to Senior. Tony's hands shook as he dialed his father's number. This would be the first they spoke since Tony had left his father behind in France.

"Hello?"

"Dad it's me."

"Junior? What do you want? Ready to apologize?"

"No dad I have some bad news."

"What?"

"Dad, Tali is dead. She got hit by a car. I was hurt too but I am going to be OK. Tali died that night. She was in so much pain I had to let her go."

"When did this happen?"

"Thursday night"

"Gee nice of you to tell me."

"Dad I am sorry I am in pain and my heart is broken. I was on powerful pain killers and I just don't know."

"That is no excuse. I am her grandfather! I should have been the first to know!"

"Dad I am sorry."

"I don't care! I am sure that Gibbs and everybody else knew. There is no excuse for you not to let me know!"

"Dad I..."

"Save it Junior! I see where I stand and if you are this careless with family. I am glad that Tali is dead!"

* * *

 **A/N: How will Gibbs react when he learns of Senior's treatment of Tony? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	6. Fears

When Gibbs went out to grab the mail, Tony was breaking the news of Tali's death to Senior. He had intended only to be gone a few seconds but ended up getting in a conversation with his neighbor about home repair. Which resulted in him stepping inside and determining that the stairs did in fact need to be sanded. She had begged him to tag along to the hardware store but he had to turn her down. He could not leave Tony that long and he doubted Tony would be up to riding in a minivan with his eccentric neighbor and her rowdy great nephews aged thirteen and nine. Now he was expecting a call at any moment with Joyce's inquires. It was all he could do to get her off his back. He needed to focus now on Tony. He tossed the junk mail into the outside trashcan and then headed into the house. Just in time to hear a choked sob and a heavy thud. He rushed down the hall and quickly found Tony lying on the kitchen floor. His phone broken on the tile beside him. From the other end he could hear Senior shooting of a tirade of obscenities and hurtful jabs.

"Tony what happened?" Gibbs cried.

"H...he...e ss...saiidd he...he...eee'ssss glad th...thaaattt T...t...talliii's ddeeaddd!" Tony cried.

"Why on Earth would he be glad about that?!" Gibbs demanded.

"I didn't tell him soon enough." Tony replied.

"Son of a!" Gibbs snapped.

* * *

Tony was now heavily sobbing on the kitchen floor and Gibbs was now beyond furious. He had always known that Senior was an asshole but he never expected anything of this level. He could not imagine somebody saying they were glad their grandchild was dead. Jack would have never said anything like that about Kelly's death. Of course Senior was a far cry from Jack. It pissed Gibbs off more than he could express that Jack was dead but Senior was still alive. Jack had a good twelve years on Senior but it still was not right. Especially now that Tony had been destroyed and Senior was only kicking him to keep him down. Burning with rage Gibbs grabbed Tony's phone and held it to his ear. Ignoring that the screen was cracked to hell and he had no idea how to work Tony's smart phone.

"I'm just saying how would you have felt if I hadn't told you about your mother for three days! Give you hope you would hug her again and then just pull the rug out from under you!"

"As I understand you were making a deal when Tony's mother died. He was alone with her, holding her hand. Her death traumatized him."

"Aw did Junior have to put his bossy wossy on the phone to defend him?"

"He's crying on the kitchen floor because of how you treated him."

"He's such a wuss."

"You told him you were glad his child died!"

"Well if he doesn't care to tell me that she is dead. Just imagine what he would have never told her!"

"He watched his child die! Do you have any idea what that does to you?!"

"Obviously not!"

"Well it rips you to shreds inside and yeah he is well within his right to not think."

"Well you knew!"

"Tony was breaking down and he called Jimmy, and Jimmy came to get me. I was going to call you but I felt it should be Tony and he wasn't up for it. I am sorry."

"Save it and since Junior doesn't care for me, you can be his new dad! I am done with that worthless asshole!"

"He deserves better than you anyway!"

* * *

McGee shifted in the unfamiliar desk chair. Tali's death was now suspected homicide. The LEO's had agreed with Jimmy's fears. They had long since suspected that Tali's death was no accident. Now that they had heard Jimmy's fears. The case was officially in the hands of NCIS. Leaving McGee working on a strange team. Two days ago he was mentally arranging his desk in cyber and arranging a trip to a comic book convention around Halloween. Now he was trying to determine if his friend and former teammate's daughter had been murdered or if it were truly just an accident. He was hoping and praying that it was just a stupid accident but the more he thought about it, the more he researched it. The more he knew the terrible truth. Somebody had intentionally murdered Tali Jennifer DiNozzo-David. A sick feeling washed over McGee's body and hot, stinging bile rose in his throat. He swallowed hard and took off running towards the bathroom. Once in the stall he fell to the floor, dry heaving and sobbing heavily. This could not be happening. He was still trying to wrap his mind around Tali being dead and now he had to investigate her murder. He swore that when he found the son of a bitch who did this. He would make them pay. At this point he didn't care the cost.

* * *

Jimmy paced back and forth in the laundry room. Breena would be home any minute now and she was expecting the sheets to be clean. He still could not believe he had wet the bed. He hadn't done that since the summer he got mono when he was twelve and that was because he was too sick and weak to get out of bed. When it happened he had lied to Breena and told her that it was because his blood sugar was off and he had drank too much water before bed. When in reality the accident was the result of a violent nightmare about Tori. He always knew that Tori could die but he always pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. Until Tali died. Ever since hearing those words, he was trapped in a perpetual nightmare of losing his daughter. The dryer dinged and he pulled the sheets out. He set the sheets on the table and returned the box of laundry packs to their home in the cabinet that sat beside the washer. He snapped the child proof lock shut and reached for the sheets. The cabinet was out of Tori's reach but you couldn't be too careful. He studied the washer and dryer. Stacked with the washer on top and the dryer on bottom, front loading. Expensive and new, with all the bells and whistles. A gift from Ed when Breena first learned she was pregnant. Just another household item that couldn't hurt anybody. Especially with a special chip that supposedly reduced the fire risk. Except he remembered hearing about a boy not much older than Tali who climbed into the dryer. His grandpa wasn't paying attention when he put the load in and by the time somebody found the boy it was too late. He dropped the now folded sheets back onto the table. He raced through the house desperately trying to find something that he could lock the dryer with. Wait didn't it have a lock. The door opened and Breena entered. She set Tori down and ran down the hall towards the bathroom. Tori toddled across the floor and towards the kitchen. Jimmy slammed the sliding door shut and scooped Tori up. Breena emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later. She took Tori from Jimmy and carried her into the kitchen. Jimmy followed and watched as Breena put the toddler in her playpen.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Jimmy cried.

"Putting Tori in her playpen. She likes to watch me cook." Breena replied.

"Are you crazy. If you burn dinner even a little she will suffocate. She's got allergies, remember?" Jimmy cried.

"Jimmy it will be fine. I don't think she will suffocate before I can get her outside." Breena assured.

"Alright well what if the stove overheats and explodes and you are unconscious and the door is warped so I can't get in. Tori will burn up!" Jimmy cried.

"Jimmy calm down. What has you so worked up?" Breena asked.

"Nothing, I'm gonna go put the sheets back on the bed." Jimmy replied, his body shaking from a fear he couldn't explain.

* * *

 **A/N: I decided to expand on Jimmy's fears as a side story. What do you think? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	7. Somehow It Gets Worse

It was dusk and it was almost completely dark outside. Tony had pretended to be asleep just long enough to make Gibbs think it was safe to head down to the basement. He waited until he heard footsteps heading downstairs. He waited in the hallway until he heard the basement door close. He then headed into Gibbs' room. He went into the master bath and grabbed one of the straight razors that Gibbs used to shave. He ran his finger over the sharp blade. A small trickle of blood dripped down and splattered on the floor. He ran his other finger through the blood and smeared it on his face. He then retreated to his own room. Sat with his back against the wall and drove the blade into his wrists. Blood rushed down his hands and landed on the floor. He wiped up the blood and rubbed it all over his body. He drug the blade up and slid it over his tongue. The blood spouted out of his mouth. He laughed as hard as he could and it made more blood spill out. He repeated the process on various points throughout his body. He heard the basement door open and knew that Gibbs was coming back. He grabbed the blood soaked blade and ran out of the house. He raced down the drive, he could hear Gibbs chasing after him. A car was making it's way down the street. He ran in front of the car shaking the knife. He jammed the knife into his throat as the car made contact with his body. His body flew through the air and landed hard on the street. As he lay there bleeding he wished that he had taken as severe of a hit as Tali. He hated to admit it but he was going to survive possibly even unscathed.

* * *

Gibbs had been down in the basement working on a special project. When he got a bad feeling. He came upstairs just in time to see Tony running around the living room carrying a razor blade, he was bleeding all over and laughing like a maniac. He called Tony's name but the younger man did not listen. Instead he ran out of the house. He followed after Tony and got to the end of the driveway just in time to see Tony make contact with a car. The driver had come to a halt in front of Tony's body and Gibbs ran over to where Tony lay. He fell to his knees by Tony's limp body.

"Is he OK?" The driver asked.

"From you he is." Gibbs replied.

"What do you mean?" The driver asked.

"He's suicidal, long story call 911!" Gibbs ordered.

* * *

Half of Laurel Street had come out to watch as the incident unfolded. Neighbors had come to Tony's aide. Assisting Gibbs in wrapping up the wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Some bowed their heads in prayer as Tony was loaded into the ambulance and rushed to the hospital. The driver of the car who was named Travis was taken away in a second ambulance. He had gone into shock at some point while Gibbs was tending to Tony. Thank God, Gibbs had good neighbors and somebody else had gone and tended to Travis. Travis was taken to a nearby hospital but Tony was rushed to Bethesda. It took a surgeon to pry the blade from Tony's bloodied hands. Tony was rushed away for tests and to be patched up. Gibbs stood in the waiting room. Rage was surging through his body. As of now Tali's death was suspected homicide. Gibbs hated the person who had killed that sweet little girl and left his boy so broken. He had hated them before but was praying that the driver had been in distress and that was the cause of Tali's death. Of course he knew that was doubtful but the truth was almost too painful. He clenched his fists and kicked at the air.

"I am going to find that son of a bitch and I am going to make them pay!" Gibbs vowed.

* * *

By the end of the ordeal Tony had a bruised cosix and required around three hundred stitches in various places throughout his body. All and all he was a lucky man. As lucky as you can get after watching your child die three days before. He would live but his life would never be the same. He was admitted for the night and would be moved to psych in the morning. For the night, Gibbs kept post in Tony's hospital room. He remembered how lost he felt after losing Shannon and Kelly but it was nothing like this. He had considered putting a gun in his mouth but he had never done anything so extreme. It was obvious that even he could not give Tony the help he needed. He just prayed that the therapists would be able to do the job and bring his son back to him.

"I wish that I could help, I wish you weren't so broken." Gibbs whispered.

* * *

Jimmy paced frantically around the living room. He had shoved plugs into every electrical cord and bolted all the heavy furniture to the floor. He had thrown away all the plastic bags and locked all the chemicals in the garage. Just to be safe he had backed the car into the driveway and installed four smoke alarms in each room. He heard Tori cry and rushed into her room. She was not dirty, hungry nor did she need to be burped. No matter what Jimmy tried she would not stop crying. In a panic he tossed some clothes on her and rushed her into his and Breena's room.

"We have to to to the hospital!" Jimmy cried.

"Why? What's wrong?" Breena asked.

"Tori's dying!" Jimmy cried.

"What?" Breena gasped.

"I don't know! She won't stop crying and she won't take anything!" Jimmy cried.

"Jimmy she is a year and a half old and you are running around like a lunatic." Breena commented.

"No she's dying! We have to go now!" Jimmy cried.

"Jimmy I am not going to rush to the hospital only to be told that Tori is a toddler and she is going to have fits." Breena warned.

"Breena! We have to take this seriously! We have to... we have t..." Jimmy cried.

* * *

A massive dizzy spell washed over Jimmy and he collapsed hard to the ground. Breena jumped up and grabbed Tori. Meanwhile Jimmy just lay on the floor wriggling around and sobbing heavily. He had his hands over his ears and he was clearly in pain.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" Jimmy cried.

* * *

 **A/N: Things have gone from bad to worse to even worse. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	8. Restless

Leaving Tony in the hospital was one of the hardest things that Gibbs had ever done. Especially knowing that Tony would be hauled off to the mental hospital first thing in the morning. It was hard for him knowing that he had been unable to keep Tony afloat but he also perfectly understood. Tony had endured an unspeakable tragedy, a devastating loss. He knew the exact pain that Tony was feeling and looking back. He probably should have been in the hospital after losing his girls. It was too late for him but there was still hope for Tony. He prayed that Tony could be saved and that one day he could get a happily ever after. Because if anybody deserved a happily ever after, it was Tony DiNozzo.

* * *

It was three in the morning but Gibbs was wide awake. He sat alone in the darkness of his bedroom. He had the friendship bracelet that Maddie had given Kelly in one hand and a rubber band bracelet that Tony had made for Tali in the other. He stared into the darkness. Thinking about his girls and Tony's. He wondered if Shannon and Kelly were friends with Ziva and Tali up there. He wondered if Tali was happy up there. If she and Ziva were looking down on Tony rooting for him to recover. He hoped that was the way things were once you died and not the other theory. Which is that you just rotted in a hole in the ground. The world was far too shitty of a place for that outcome. For Tony's sake he had to have faith in something better. Feeling vaguely tired he lay down, curled up, on the bed. Holding the bracelets close he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. It was no use. He bolted up in bed just a few minutes later. Drenched in sweat and horrified by a terrible thought about his beloved son. Giving up on sleep he set the bracelets down and walked down the hall to Kelly's room. It had been so long since he had been in here. A thick layer of dust had gathered on everything. He walked over and sat down on the bed. He picked up her teddy bear. It had been so long. That's when it hit him. Tony may never set foot in Tali's room again. He would be unable to make rent and even if he could there were no promises that he would want to stay there. Staying in his old home had been hard for Gibbs but he was glad that he had done it. So many memories were made here. His heart ached in a way he could not explain. He was hurting for Tony and to top it off Tony's grief had reopened his own wounds. This was not the way he wanted Tony to be connected to him.

"Why Tali?! She was such a sweet and perfect child! Tony did not deserve this!" Gibbs cried.

* * *

Tony was alone in his hospital room, lying awake, and fiddling with his hospital band. He had been offered sleeping aide but had flat out refused. As tired as he was, he did not want to sleep. He was still seeing her anytime he closed his eyes. Not the bright and bubbly girl he had loved but the mangled mess that he had held in his arms as she took her last breath. He honestly wondered how Gibbs did it. How he kept going after all this pain. He wished that Gibbs was here but the hospital said that he needed to be alone. What that meant was Gibbs caused too much trouble when he was allowed to stay in the hospital overnight. In the morning he would be hauled off to the loony bin. Where if there were any justice in the world. He would be killed in a brawl or by somebody who saw him as the person who had destroyed his family. That is what he deserved, because he had destroyed his own family. He was the reason Tali was dead and he was not going to rest until he was with her again. Unless he was sent to hell for being responsible for Tali's death. He missed his baby girl but maybe eternal hell fire is what he deserved.

* * *

The fear was keeping Jimmy awake for another night. After his melt down Breena had tried to talk to him but he had refused. So here he was sitting in a field somewhere. Wondering how long it would be before his own life was destroyed. That seemed to the pattern to the ones he loved. Gibbs and Tony had lost their families. Vance had lost his wife, Delilah had become paralyzed. Ducky had believed his brother to be dead for decades and Abby had lost her parents when she was still very young. He wasn't sure about Bishop but he knew that she had pain. Everybody had pain but not like his family at NCIS. Until Tony, Jimmy had tried his best to brush it all off but now he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. He dug his hand into the dirt until his hand was full and a good amount had found it embedded underneath his fingernails. He mashed the dirt into a ball and thrust it hard across the field. He heard a man yell out a series of obscenities. Realizing that he was not alone as he thought. He dusted off his hands and ran for his car. He heard footsteps behind him as he dove into the car and sped away.

"Shit! Shit!" Jimmy cried as he sped away.

* * *

Ron Sacks sat alone in his empty garage. He traced his finger around the hood of the rental car he had been given. As far as anybody knew he had hit a deer. His car was in the shop and once it was back he would be cleared of any fault. He felt no guilt for what he had done. Tony was a pompous ass and Trent had treated him a million times better than Fornell ever had. Fornell was a jackass, really another Tony. He just prayed that Gibbs would not catch on to what he had done.

"Ron?" His wife called.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Are you alright?" Nora asked.

"Yeah just couldn't sleep." Ron replied.

"Is this about the accident?" Nora asked.

"Yes but I am fine. Don't worry about me." Ron lied.

"You had a close call. There is no shame in being afraid." Nora assured.

"Can we just drop it?!" Ron demanded.

"Ron are you OK?" Nora asked.

"I just don't want to talk about it yet." Ron lied.

* * *

 **A/N: Looks like Trent really did have minions. I just made up Slacks' wife's name because as far as I know it's never been said. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	9. Falling Apart

The last thing that Tony wanted was to end up in the loony bin, but when they came to take him down there. He did not fight. Not because he accepted that he needed help. There was simply no fight left in him. He had lost the last of his fight when Tali lost her life. He had desperately wished that Gibbs had just let him die the night before. Death was the only thing he wanted at this point. By all accounts his suicide attempt should have been more than successful but he had made one mistake. He had made the attempt in Gibbs' house. He should have made up an excuse to go back to the townhouse and done it there. That would have been perfect if he his bloodied and mangled corpse was found in the exact same place as Tali's. There was nobody at the townhouse to stop him from dying but Gibbs is like a blood hound. It was impossible to get anything by him. Especially a burning desire to die. When the orderlies came for him he did not make a sound and he remained silent through the entire wheelchair ride up to the psych ward. Which would be his home for at least the next seventy-two hours.

* * *

Gibbs sat alone in the hallway, his back leaned up against the wall. He sat in the area between the guest room (Tony's room) and Kelly's room. Both doors were opened. Kelly's door being left open for the first time since the day she had died. He missed the days of the house being void of life after Tony had gone back home. This time Tony's presence lingered heavily in the air but it was not Tony's typical presence. It was a presence of heartache and grief. It was the same presence he had carried for all of these years. He would give anything to be able to go back in time and undo this mess. He would throw himself in front of that car in an instant. Just to give his precious son one more shot at a happy life. The happy life that Tony had deserved for so many years. The life he had finally gotten. Only to have it yanked away from just mere months later. Gibbs felt like he was going to be sick. He heard a knock on the door and drug himself downstairs. He found Ducky standing on the other side, a look of concern etched on his face.

"What can I do for you, Duck?" Gibbs asked.

"I am worried for you Jethro. I have not heard from you since you broke the news of Tali's death. It is not like you to be unreachable." Ducky explained.

"Yeah it's been a rough few days! I've needed some down time!" Gibbs cried.

"I know but Jethro I am worried about you and I am deathly concerned for Anthony." Ducky replied.

"Tony's in the hospital!" Gibbs admitted.

"What? What happened?" Ducky asked.

"He tried to kill himself. He took one of my razors and gashed the hell out of himself. All this before dashing out in front of a car. He's OK physically but he's too far gone for me to take care of him. I had to turn him over to a psychiatric hospital." Gibbs explained.

"Oh Jethro" Ducky whispered.

"This sucks Ducky. It just sucks." Gibbs admitted.

"It certainly does, Jethro." Ducky replied.

"Why did this have to happen to Tony? He didn't do anything wrong." Gibbs asked.

"Well neither did you." Ducky commented.

"Why do kids have to die? Why when there are so many bastards in the world?" Gibbs asked.

"One of the few questions I cannot answer with science, psychology, or logic." Ducky replied.

* * *

Jimmy found himself alone in autopsy. Haunted by the images of Tali lying on that table. He didn't want another incident like the night before. Breena was concerned for him and now that he was in a more clear state of mind. He was worried for himself. He buried his head in his hands and took deep breaths. He wondered if anything would ever be normal again. If he would ever be normal again.

"Jimmy!" McGee called.

"What's up?" Jimmy asked.

"Is Ducky around?" McGee asked.

"No he went to find Gibbs." Jimmy replied.

"Oh OK" McGee replied.

"What can I do for you?" Jimmy asked.

"Nothing I needed Ducky." McGee replied.

"Alright so how are you doing?" Jimmy asked.

"Pretty good" McGee replied.

"It's weird isn't it?" Jimmy asked.

"Painful" McGee replied.

"I feel so bad for Tony." Jimmy commented.

"Me too" McGee replied.

"Do you think he will be OK?" Jimmy asked.

"I hope so but right now it looks really bad." McGee replied.

"I know" Jimmy agreed.

"God things are so hard. I am supposed to be happy right now." McGee commented.

"What do you mean?" Jimmy asked.

"Delilah's pregnant. We were going to tell everyone the day that Tali died. Now it just doesn't feel appropriate to share." McGee explained.

"That is great news McGee. Be happy. Having kids is great." Jimmy replied.

"I know but it doesn't seem fair with Tony suffering so much." McGee replied.

"I know" Jimmy agreed.

* * *

Tony buried his head in his pillow. He would give anything for this pain to be over. He swore that he heard Tali laughing down the hall. He really was losing his mind. He hated Gibbs for saving his life. Gibbs of all people really should have known how stupid that was. In reality Gibbs had only saved him. Because he did not want him to die and yet it was the people who commuted suicide who were considered selfish. Why were people who were miserable and couldn't take it selfish but people who just wanted their friends alive the innocent ones. It's not like Tony had much of a quality of life. Gibbs was just lying to cover his own ass.

"You are a selfish bastard Leroy Jethro Gibbs! I hate you! I wish you had died instead of Tali! You are worthless!" Tony yelled into the darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: If only Tony could see how much Gibbs is wanting to change things. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	10. Alive

Tali's obituary was published on Tony's second day in the hospital. It was just a short series of paragraphs. Describing Tali as a bright and happy child. Listing her family and saying that she was joining her Ima in heaven. Tony had insisted on using Ima and Abba in place of mother and father. Saying it was the best way he could think of to honor his girls. At the end it was stated that Tali had been cremated and that services would be announced at a later date. The team along with Abby, Ducky, the Palmer's and Delilah would be honoring Tali in a candlelight vigil for lost children. The service would be held at the Palmer's church. Where it had originated as a vigil for a girl who had lost her battle with leukemia. Her parents chose to open the vigil up to other bereaved parents, when they heard that Tali had passed just two days after their daughter. It was hard for Gibbs knowing that Tony would not be able to attend the vigil but at the end of the day that may have been for the best. The Tony, Gibbs had left in the hospital. Would not have been able to handle any sort of memorial for his daughter. That was part of why Gibbs had opted to delay any service dedicated solely to Tali.

* * *

The vigil was casual. Though the parents did encourage people to wear "appropriate dress". So Gibbs wore a pair of slacks and the "World's Best Grandpa" shirt Tali had gotten him for Father's day. He was in no way prepared for this ceremony. He tucked a wallet sized photo of Tali into his back pocket. Friend's of Lindsey's parents had set out quilt squares where people could either share a memory of Lindsey or honor another lost child. Jethro honored both Tali and Kelly on his square. Along with a nice message to Lindsey's parents. He now stood in the church's back parking lot with a group of other mourners. He noticed that Breena had come alone and started over to her but McGee approached him and asked if they could talk.

"Hey Boss, how is Tony? I heard that he was in the hospital." McGee questioned.

"He's fine. He just needs to get better." Gibbs replied vaguely.

"Oh well that's good." McGee replied.

"Where's Delilah?" Gibbs asked.

"She wasn't feeling good so she stayed home." McGee replied.

"I hope she feels better soon." Gibbs replied.

"She's pregnant" McGee sighed.

"Oh that's wonderful, congratulations." Gibbs replied.

"I feel terrible." McGee sighed.

"Why? Is she having complications?" Gibbs asked.

"No she's fine. Everything is going great actually. I shouldn't be talking about this here. Sorry to bother you." McGee replied.

"Rule six and we will be discussing this later." Gibbs replied.

"Alright" McGee replied reluctantly.

"Do you have any idea where Palmer is?" Gibbs asked.

"Breena said that Tori wasn't feeling good so he stayed home with her." McGee replied.

"Why would he stay home if he's the one who knew Tali?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know but she looked pretty stressed so I didn't ask too many questions." McGee replied.

* * *

The vigil left Gibbs feeling raw. He ended up ducking out around the side of the building. He couldn't deal with anymore bereaved parents. He rushed out before anybody else had even stepped into the parking lot. He pulled into Shirley's for the first time since the accident. He remembered sitting in the back booth with Tony across from him and Tali in her booster seat. The memories were raw and painful. Part of him just wanted to go into his basement and never come back but he knew that was out of the question. Tony would need his love and support when he got out of the hospital. He would need his mentor to help him come back into the world.

"Been a while. Everything alright?" Shirley asked.

"I guess you didn't read the paper today." Gibbs commented.

"No didn't have time before I came in this morning. Then the diner's copy got stolen." Shirley explained.

"You been here all day?" Gibbs asked.

"No I went home around noon but had to cover a shift." Shirley explained.

"Oh" Gibbs replied.

"So what's going on? You seem really distraught. Did one of your team go down?" Shirley asked.

"Tali died" Gibbs replied.

"No! What happened?" Shirley cried.

"She was hit by a car. Tony's real bad off. Had to put him in the hospital." Gibbs explained.

"I am so sorry, Jethro." Shirley apologized.

"I hate the world sometimes." Jethro sighed.

"Me too" Shirley agreed.

* * *

It was another long and sleepless night for Jethro. He woke the next morning and stumbled through his routine. He had taken a leave of absence to care for Tony. Now that Tony was in the hospital. He had thought about going back but he just didn't have it in him. He was wondering if he would ever be able to return to work. He spent most of the morning down in the basement. Coming up only when he knew that he could not delay lunch any longer. He tossed together a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich, and was carrying it down to the basement when he heard a knock on the door. He set the sandwich on the table and headed for the door. Standing on the other side was a short, male who looked to be in his twenties. The kid wore a jean jacket, over a Green Day shirt, and a pair of worn blue jeans. Gibbs started to close the door thinking that he was another stoned college kid looking for Pokemon.

"Are you, Jethro Gibbs?" The kid asked.

"Yeah, why?" Gibbs asked.

"My name is Joshua David and you knew my cousin Tali." Joshua replied.

"Did you say, David?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah" Joshua replied.

"So you were related to Tali and Ziver?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes" Joshua replied.

"How come I've never heard of ya?" Gibbs asked.

"Eli and my dad Issac had a falling out at the first Tali's funeral. I was just a kid at the time I don't even think I was in school yet. After that my dad moved the family to America. My family was estranged from Ziva's for many years. Until my sister Ruth moved back to Israel a five years ago. She was ten when everything happened and was super homesick ever since. We reconnected but I kind of disappeared after Ruth died. You can imagine how hard it was to see Tali's obituary in the paper yesterday." Joshua explained.

"I am sorry kid. Is there anything I can do? I don't know when the services will be. I don't even have her ashes yet." Gibbs explained.

"Mr. Gibbs, do you know what preeclampsia is?" Joshua asked.

"It's a complication in pregnancy that is the result of high blood pressure or it causes high blood pressure. What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Gibbs demanded.

"Mr. Gibbs, Ziva had preeclampsia and because of it she fell into a coma in her second trimester. For two years she lay in that coma. Anytime we planned on pulling the plug she would rally and we would think that she was getting better, but she never did. Until yesterday." Joshua explained.

"Look kid I don't know what you are trying to sell me but Ziva died in a fire. That is why Tony had Tali." Gibbs explained.

"No my sister Ruth died in that fire. While I was sitting Shiva somebody named Orli switched Ruth and Ziva's dental records." Joshua explained.

"Give me one reason why I should believe you." Gibbs demanded.

"Just a second." Joshua replied.

* * *

Gibbs tried his best to hide his annoyance as this Joshua kid took his phone out of his pocket and began to mess around with it. He seriously hated those damn things. Seconds later the kid shoved the phone in his face. On the screen was a video of a woman sitting up in a hospital bed. A woman who even though her hair was frizzy and her face aged and puffy. He recognized right away.

"Ziver?" Gibbs gasped.

"Shalom Gibbs, I guess I have some explaining to do." Ziva replied.

* * *

 **A/N: Is Orli involved with Tali's death as well? This was the only way I could bring Ziva back. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	11. Breaking Point

Ziva being alive was a major and soul crushing bomb shell. A twist that was supposed to be excellent news was instead met with more heartbreak. Ziva was alive but she would never get to know her daughter. She had literally slept through her child's entire life. How the hell was she supposed to get through that? How would Tony get through this? Tony had wanted Ziva back for so long but that was before Tali died. It was painfully rare for a relationship to survive the loss of a child and things between Tony and Ziva were complicated anyway. Even more given that Ziva had been in a two and a half year long coma. Gibbs knew that he had to get to his agents side. He also knew that he could not just ditch Tony at a time like this. He had no idea how Ziva would be after her ordeal. So he couldn't send anyone else. That meant leaving Tony in the care of the team until he could return. Hopefully with a healthy and forgiving Ziva in toe...

* * *

Tony shifted nervously in his seat. He hated the group therapy sessions most of all. He was not a fan of expressing emotions around other people. It was hard enough to open up to the people he had worked with for so many years and now here he sat. In the center of a circle of other lost souls, trying his hardest to make himself invisible.

"Would you like to say something, Mr. DiNozzo?" Dr. Baldwin asked.

"What the hell can I say?! I miss Tali and everything has been terrible since she died!" Tony cried.

"While I have never lost a child. I am here to deal with my PTSD from the Iraq war. I have to say Tony that you are showing clear signs of the disorder." A man named Max commented.

"I don't want to hear it! I don't have PTSD! You have been haunted for a long time! I just lost my daughter a few days ago! Give me some time before you go diagnosing me!" Tony snapped.

"Mr. DiNozzo gain control." Dr. Baldwin insisted.

"My child is dead! Stop trying to make me calm!" Tony snapped.

"Mr. DiNozzo" Dr. Baldwin warned.

"No! I am done!" Tony snapped.

* * *

Gibbs had called an emergency meeting at his house. McGee, Abby, Bishop, Ducky, and Palmer stood in the living room as he frantically packed his bags together. He had booked an emergency flight to Tel-Aviv, that would depart at nine that evening. He tossed together clothes and supplies to get him through the next few days into one bag and a few of Tali's things into another. He balanced his passport and other information on top of his rolling suitcase.

"What's going on, Boss?" McGee asked.

"An emergency came up in Israel. I am flying out late tonight and will be back in a few days. I will tell you more later on." Gibbs explained.

"Israel? What's happening in Israel?" Abby asked.

"Like I said I will explain later." Gibbs replied, harshly.

"Alright" Bishop replied.

"So we are in understanding?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes" Everybody replied in unison.

"Good now I have a favor to ask of you. All of you." Gibbs said.

"Of course boss, anything." McGee replied.

"I am going to be gone at least five days and Tony is coming home probably tomorrow. I need you guys to take care of DiNozzo for me." Gibbs explained.

"Ed is taking Tori to see his sister in Dallas for a few days. So he can stay with Breena and me. We don't have the experience you have but we can give Tony our undivided attention." Jimmy offered.

"Great and I will be a phone call away if you need anything." Gibbs replied.

"On second thought Breena needs some down time. She is exhausted." Jimmy remarked.

"Anthony, can stay with me. I have an extra room and my psychology training could prove beneficial to him." Ducky said.

"Great" Gibbs replied.

* * *

Ziva sat alone in her hospital room. Trying her best to process everything she had just learned. The last thing she remembered was baby shopping with her cousin Ruth. They had just learned that the baby was a girl. A girl she would be naming Tali, after her late sister. She had planned to call Tony and tell him the news that night. Then the next thing she knew she had woken up in a hospital bed. She had thought that just a few hours had gone by, but then she saw her flat stomach. That's when she was told that she had collapsed from preeclampsia and had been comatose for two years now. She asked to see her baby but they wouldn't tell her anything. She knew right away that Tali was dead. She would never get to hold her daughter and Tony didn't even know that they had a child. So he couldn't even come to Israel and mourn with her. She wondered if he had moved on. What if he had kids with another woman? He wouldn't want to grieve the dead baby of his ex. What if he wasn't even alive? Being an agent was dangerous and Tony was well Tony. He couldn't seem to walk to his mailbox without getting into some sort of trouble.

* * *

Jimmy stood alone in Victoria's empty room. He wished that he had the courage to tell the truth. To admit that Ed did not take Tori to give them a vacation, but because Breena did not feel comfortable with him being around Victoria. He was too crazy to be around his daughter. A new feeling of terror washed over him. What if the plane went down? What if his fear was the very thing that cost him his daughter. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, he felt hot all over and his body was trembling. He felt nauseous and he could barely breathe. His heart felt as if it was going to beat out of his chest. He was so dizzy that he could barely stand and the room was racing around him. Bile raised in his throat and his knees went weak. The bile rose up into his mouth, just as his knees gave out, causing him to come crashing to the floor.

"Breena!" Jimmy called, as he fell.

* * *

 **A/N: How will Ziva take the news that Tali died? Especially knowing that she died in Tony's care? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	12. Hospital Heartbreak

Gibbs had no memory of the flight to Israel. One minute he was buying his ticket and the next he was getting off the plane in Tel Aviv. After grabbing his luggage he asked for directions to the hospital, stepped outside, and hailed a cab. He remained silent throughout the entire cab ride. He paid the driver in silence and made his way into the hospital.

"May I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"I need the room number for Miss. Ziva David." Gibbs replied.

"And you are?" The receptionist asked.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs" Gibbs replied.

"How do you know Miss. David?" The receptionist asked.

"I was her boss." Gibbs replied.

"I will speak with Miss. David but you should know that she is extremely fragile right now." The receptionist explained.

* * *

Ziva was alone in her hospital room. This was the life she had been living the past two days. They said that she was doing well and would be released very soon. She'd need some physical therapy to regain her strength but given the length of her coma and the severity of the seizure she had suffered she was doing remarkably well. She would be home soon. Home without her baby. She had asked to see Tali several times but nobody would bring her to her or even talk to her about it. In her heart Ziva knew what that meant. It meant that Tali had died. She must have lost the baby when she had the seizure. She was heartbroken. She would never even get to hold her baby girl. She had spent two years in a coma and her baby girl must have been gone just as long. She heard her phone ring and let out a groan. She had grown sick of the train of well wishers. All the people saying they were glad that she was awake and promising to come by to see her. They promised to come but in the two days she had been awake. Nobody had come. Her only visitors were the doctors and the nurses. Well them and a Rabbi from the hospital.

"David"

"Miss. David this is Mary from reception."

"Who is calling now?"

"Actually you have a visitor. We just want to make sure you are up for it."

"A visitor? Who is it?"

"It's a Jethro Gibbs he claims that he was your boss back in America."

"Gibbs is here?"

"Yes can go ahead and send him up?"

"Of course right away."

* * *

Gibbs waited while the receptionist called up to Ziva's room. Several minutes later he was given the go ahead to head up to Ziva's room. He followed the receptionists directions to the elevator and made his way up to the fourth floor. He rounded the corridor and read each room number until he came to Ziva's room. Even though the receptionist and the nurse had waved him up to Ziva's room. He still knocked on the door and waited until he heard Ziva's voice telling him to come in. Before he opened the door and walked inside. He studied the woman who sat up in the hospital bed. She looked a hell of a lot better than she had when they spoke the day before but it was still clear that she was not quite well yet.

"Gibbs?" Ziva greeted.

"How are you Ziver?" Gibbs greeted.

"I am OK." Ziva replied.

"That's good I know how rough comas can be." Gibbs replied.

"What are you doing here?" Ziva asked.

"I just came to check on you. Like I said I know how you feel." Gibbs replied.

"Where's my baby?" Ziva asked.

"Ziver you had a baby girl and your cousin Ruth cared for her. She honored you wishes and named her Tali. She was beautiful, she looked just like you but had Tony's eyes and his smile." Gibbs explained, tears in his eyes.

"A girl? I have a little girl?" Ziva gasped.

"Had" Gibbs sighed.

"Had?! What do you mean had?!" Ziva cried.

"Ziver five days ago just before you woke up. Tali was hit by a car. Her injuries were too severe and she died later that night." Gibbs explained.

"Poor Ruth she must have been devastated." Ziva replied.

"Actually Ziva, Ruth is dead too." Gibbs replied.

"Ruth is dead too?! Was it the same accident?!" Ziva cried.

"No Ziver, Ruth was killed in a fire at your farmhouse. For a long time we thought that it was you. That is what Orli told us and that is what we believed." Gibbs explained.

"Wait if Ruth died in a fire than who was caring for Tali? I can't see Elijah stepping up. He is nice enough but he's young and I just can't see him giving up his band." Ziva questioned.

"Tony has been caring for Tali since the fire." Gibbs replied.

"What happened to Tony? Was he killed too? Is he hurt?" Ziva asked.

"Tony had a broken arm and broken ribs. He was recovering at my house but the day you woke up he had a breakdown and attempted to kill himself. He is now in the psychiatric hospital at Bethesda. He is really sick." Gibbs explained.

"Why didn't Tony save her? Why didn't he shove her out of the way?! What was he doing?! He was goofing off wasn't he?! I hate him! I hate him! I am going to kill him! I am going to kill him! Just like he killed my baby girl!" Ziva cried.

"Ziver" Gibbs called, softly.

"No! I hate him! I never even got to see Tali and it is all his fault!" Ziva cried.

* * *

Jimmy studied the plastic hospital band that hung off of his wrist. _"James T. Palmer, 30, Psychiatric Ward (Panic Attacks), Diabetic, Mild Asthmatic, SEVERE PENCILIN allergy."_ He had suffered five severe panic attacks in the past twenty four hours and was now lying in a hospital bed. He could not see Breena or Tori. He had an oxygen tank in his room and basin sat on the tray on his bed. He was cold and terrified. They were pumping him full of drugs trying to fix him but he did not want to be fixed. He just wanted Tori back. He just wanted things to go back to how they were.

* * *

 **A/N: Don't get to angry at Ziva. People tend to blame throw blame around when they lose a child. Even if the child died a natural and unpreventable death. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	13. Betrayed

Night had become a glorious time for Tony. Night was the time that he was not being forced into therapies or meetings. Yes the nightmares came but he had learned how to keep himself awake. He was constantly tired but in a way that worked out. Being exhausted was an excellent excuse to not participate in sessions. He had come to hate life in the hospital even more than he had hated things back at Gibbs' house. He was still furious at Gibbs but at least he got more than four hours a day without structure or stress. He was tired and alone. He wanted only to be dead, back with his baby girl and the woman that he loved. He was cold constantly and the physical pain was unbearable but it was nothing compared to the emotional torment that he was enduring. His heart was racing and he wanted only to scream out his daughters name. The only thing stopping him were the consequences of his actions. If he cried out doctors would rush in and start interrogating him. Then he would more than likely end up being sedated. Sedation meant being trapped in his nightmare. He fiddled around with one of the cuts on his wrists. He ran his finger over the sutures. If he ripped it out just right he would bleed out before help could arrive. A simple yank and he would be set free from all of his pain.

"Are you alright, Mr. DiNozzo?" A doctor asked.

"Fine" Tony lied.

* * *

Ziva lay back on her bed, crying her eyes out. The last thing she remembered was Gibbs telling her that she had lost her daughter and that Tony was to blame. Then the next thing she knew she had woken up alone in her hospital room. The doctors had told her that she had been sedated and that Gibbs had been kicked out. That only made her rage grow worse. Why were they blaming Gibbs? He had just been trying to look out for her. If anybody deserved to be thrown out it was Tony but he hadn't even cared to show up. Gibbs had said that he was in the mental hospital but that didn't sound like Tony. Ziva knew the truth. That Tony had not even cared to show up. He was probably off watching a movie and being a jackass somewhere. She hated him so much. Why couldn't it have been Tony who died and Tali who had merely been injured. Where was the justice in the universe? Not existent that's where it was. If there were justice she would have been awake for her daughter's life. She would have never let the accident happen. She would have been paying attention and pushed Tali out of the way. No matter what the cost was to herself.

* * *

Gibbs kicked at the wall of his hotel room. He was furious at the hospital for kicking him out but he was even more furious that they had not told Ziva about Tali yet. Yes it was horrible news to have to give but it was news that Ziva deserved to know. He could not imagine how it must have been for her. To spend all those days just waiting for her daughter. All because nobody had cared to tell her that she was dead. Yes she was fragile but that was no excuse to hide that secret for her. What if she had found out through a news report or worse via social media? His stomach churned at the impersonal ways that people were forced to learn about loss these days.

* * *

Jimmy tossed and turned in his hospital bed. He was so afraid that he could barely breathe and he wanted only to have his family in his arms. He wanted to cradle Tori and tell he how much he loved her. He wanted to hold Breena close and smell her hair. Instead he was trapped in a cold and dark hospital room. All because Breena had decided that he was crazy. Well Breena was the crazy one. She was the one who had put Tori on an airplane. What kind of irresponsible parent let their kid fly? Didn't she know how many planes crashed in a year but cars weren't much safer. Especially if Ed was driving her. He was old, his eyes were poor and he had some other health risks. Oh Lord, Tori would be alone with him. Just Ed and his sister who was also very old and had her own medical complications. All this was happening almost across the country. In a town with very little cell service in the home of a woman who did not have WiFi. Just an old landline. It was almost like Breena wanted Tori to die.

"Fuck you, Breena! How dare you put our baby at risk! FUCK YOU!" Jimmy cried out.

* * *

Orli stepped into her apartment. She slammed the door shut behind her and then walked over and pulled the blinds shut. She grabbed a slice of cold pizza out of the fridge and made her way over to the couch. She stared anxiously at her burn phone from it's perch on the coffee table. Her heart was racing. Wasn't he supposed to call by now? What if he had called already and she had missed it. What if somebody heard the conversation and reported her to the authorities? What if the rumors were true and Ziva really were up? What if he hadn't been able to get it done or made some sort of mistake? What then? Surely something was wrong. It had been days and she had still not heard a word? What was she going to do? How would she pass off as innocent if Ziva found out? No she couldn't worry about that now. She had to worry about the call. Orli finished her pizza and tossed the plate in the garbage, before heading off to the bathroom to wash her hands. She had just sat down when she heard her phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"It's done"

"Good the money will be in your account within the week and you can use your position to clear ourselves if something goes wrong?"

"Yes but do not worry. Nothing will go wrong."

* * *

 **A/N: So Orli was not only responsible for Tali's death but it was her idea. Why would she do such a horrible thing to her friend? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	14. Ghosts

_Tony watched as Tali ran playfully ahead of him. Her black hair swung from side to side and she giggled as she skipped along. Tony watched her run and wondered how he would ever keep up with her. He called out her name, she whirled around, and ran back towards him. He opened his arms and she bounded towards his embrace. She was so close to him, that he could feel her smooth skin and her soft hair tickled his arms. Then out of the blue that truck came barreling out of nowhere. The force shoved him down and ripped her out of his arms. He looked down at her mangled corpse. He reached down to embrace her but she was yanked away. He saw a man with an eye patch laughing at him, a lit cigarette in his hands. He laughed in Tony's face calling him a sissy and spitting in his face._

* * *

Tony bolted up in bed, screaming, and gasping for air. The nightmare was the same but the structure of the dream was different. He was recalling a moment from the morning of the worst day of his life. What had once been a precious memory was now just another reminded that his daughter truly was dead. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and frantically looked around the room. Wondering if dreams like this were going to become the new normal. If his happy memories were going to be replaced by the painful memory of Tali's death. Then there was the man with the eye patch. Who was he and why was it so funny that sweet Tali was dead. He was about to give up and make a feeble second attempt at sleep. When he saw a figure standing in the corner. It was the man with the eye patch. It was Trent Kort but he was dead. You didn't exactly survive getting shot at least four times. Even if you did you probably wouldn't be walking around so good this soon afterwards, but there he was. Standing in the corner of Tony's hospital room

"Help! Help! There's a man in my room! HELP!" Tony screamed.

* * *

Screaming was a big mistake because Trent was now charging the bed. Tony searched desperately for something he could arm himself with but came up short. He heard feet rushing up the hall and feared that it was Trent's minions coming to help do him in. Except Trent had not spoken, at least Tony hoped that he hadn't. The door burst open and a man in a pair of white scrubs rushed in along with a security guard.

"Where's the man Mr. DiNozzo?" The doctor asked.

"He's right here! At the foot of my bed! He has a gun!" Tony cried.

"Tony there's nobody there." The doctor replied calmly.

"He's there! He is! Please help!" Tony pleaded.

"Tony you are having an episode. We are going to need to put you on meds and adjust your therapy regimen. For tonight we are going to have to sedate you." The doctor explained.

"No please he is right there. He's right there! Please help me!" Tony cried.

* * *

It was a small wallet sized photograph, that showed Tali with a wide grin as she held onto a bright red tricycle. It was all that Ziva had to know her daughter. Gibbs had given it to her during his visit that afternoon. The doctors were not super thrilled to have Gibbs back in the room, after all the trouble he had caused during his previous visit. She had managed to convince them to let him see her. While he was there he had given her the photograph and he had promised more to her when they returned to the states. She was not thrilled about returning to America. Knowing that Tony would be there and that Gibbs would try to make things work between them. She did not want things to work out between them. Tony was a monster and a murderer and he deserved to rot in prison. If she never saw him again it would be far too soon.

* * *

Tim McGee watched Delilah as she slept. Her night shirt was tightly fitted and he could make out a tiny bump under the fabric. She wasn't huge most would think that she was bloated from menstruation cramps or a heavy meal but McGee knew that it was his baby. He was thrilled to have a child of his own. Especially since the doctors could not make any promises about fertility in the days following the explosion. The couple had agreed to try IVF at first but if that did not work out they would go down the route of adoption. News of the pregnancy was welcome to both Tim, Delilah, and their families. Tim just wished that it had come at a more welcome time. A time when he had not just helped his friend type an obituary for his own daughter. Tim's heart broke knowing that Tali would not grow up with his child. That she would not tease him or her and teach the baby to call it's daddy Probie. That Tony may not be the goofy uncle he should have been. The world was a cruel place and Tim was conflicted about bringing a child into it.

* * *

It was strange for Breena to be alone in her home. She had not been alone this long since Victoria was born. It was hard sending her baby girl away but Jimmy needed time to heal, and Ed had been dying to take her down to see his sister and her family. So in a way it actually worked out or it would have anyway. If Jimmy had not had his breakdown. He was rushed to the hospital after his second massive panic attack in a matter of hours. She wished that she could do something for her husband but what could she do? He was grieving for his friend's daughter and terrified of losing his own. Losing a child was every parents nightmare but when Jimmy lost the ability to keep his fears at the back of his mind. That is when it became apparent that he was in need of psychiatric help. Sending him away was rough but it was also necessary. Tori would be back in a week and Jimmy would be home when the doctors declared him fit to come home again. For now however Breena was on her own, her heart breaking in two for both Jimmy and for Tony.

* * *

 **A/N: Gibbs brings Ziva home in the next chapter but how will it go? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	15. Something Like That

Tony's hospital stay had been extended indefinitely. They did not want to add any meds until they were sure that his hallucinations were a problem and not just a nightmare. He prayed that the hallucinations would not become permanent. He wished that they could see that he was not crazy. He was just tired and still in mourning. Why couldn't these people realize he had just lost his little girl? It wasn't like with Gibbs who's family had been gone for many years. Yeah if Gibbs was hallucinating that he was being attacked by Pedro Hernandez, he would definitely need medications. Why couldn't they see that this was new grief. All he wanted was to be home. Wherever that may be now. He couldn't return to the townhouse and he couldn't stay with Gibbs, but he knew that he couldn't be alone. Then again maybe he was better off in the hospital.

* * *

The doctors had told Ziva that she would be released the following day. From there she had no idea what she would do or where she would go. The farmhouse was gone and according to Gibbs Tony was staying with him. She was open to returning to America where her friends were but there was no way that she would live under the same roof as him. She knew that Monique had a house somewhere in the DC area that she would rent out since she was only home a few weeks out of the year. Ziva could probably get that place pretty cheap. Especially given her circumstances. She made a mental note to call Monique first thing in the morning. For the time being she could stay in a hotel, maybe with Abby, Ducky, McGee, or even the Palmer's. Anyone who wasn't Tony or housing Tony really.

* * *

Ever since the nightmare Tony had been dreading his one on one therapy session. The group session had been bad enough but in one on one there was no escape. There was nobody else to count on needing to open up. He was alone, totally alone. Just like his life would be from now on. He had been alone for years before Tali but things were different now. He had known the love of a family and he longed to have it back. He was dreading his session but the time had come and he was now sitting in the little office, waiting for his shrink to show up and make things even worse.

"Good afternoon Tony. I understand that you had a rough night." Dr. Evans greeted

"Yep" Tony agreed.

"Lets talk about it." Dr. Evans replied.

"I saw the man who killed my girlfriend, the mother of my child. I am also still trying to process her death and now I have Tali to mourn." Tony explained.

"Tony you are correct. You are still mourning Ziva and now Tali is gone as well, but that is not an excuse to keep closed up. That is more the reason to open up to me." Dr. Evans explained

"I was miserable after I lost Ziva until I met Tali. She gave me the best summer of my life and now she is just gone. There is nothing that can take this pain away." Tony explained.

"Unfortunately you are right there." Dr. Evans agreed.

"Some shrink you are." Tony scoffed.

"Would you rather I lie to you?" Dr. Evans asked.

"It would be nice." Tony replied.

"Well I am not going to do that." Dr. Evans replied.

"So the rest of my life is going to suck but you bastards will not let me give up and die?" Tony questioned.

"Tony the pain will never go away but you will learn to live with it. It isn't easy but you do it because you have to." Dr. Evans explained.

"What do you know?!" Tony snapped.

"I raised my younger brother I adopted him when I turned eighteen. When he was sixteen and I was twenty-nine he was hit by a drunk driver and killed on impact. He was my son and I had lost him. It was soul crushing." Dr. Evans explained.

"Still nothing like losing my Tali." Tony sighed.

"I know but I struggled for years and that is why I specialize in parents mourning their children." Dr. Evans explained.

"I can't deal with this now! How long to we have?" Tony asked.

"Thirty minutes now come on just open up." Dr. Evans prodded.

"I don't think that Ziva is dead and if she is alive I know that she will hate me." Tony confessed.

* * *

Tobias Fornell passed by the desk of Ron Sacks. There was a time when Ron was the most promising agent on his team. He was all set to hand the reigns to him one day. Then out of the blue he announced that he would be joining the CIA and would be working under Trent Kort. He had taken over Trent's job when he was relieved and it just happened that today they were working together on a joint case. Needless to say it was awkward given the way things had ended between them. Almost like two ex lovers working together. Minus the sexual tension that is. Tobias thought that they were on good terms but it was clear that they weren't. He just couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong. Tobais had always seem himself as a good boss and for the most part his agents attested to that.

"What are you looking at?!" Sacks demanded.

"Nothing just passing by." Fornell replied.

"Whatever" Sacks scoffed.

"Are you OK, Ron?" Fornell asked.

"No I am not! I was in a car accident the other day! I hit a deer! I almost died! Not that you would care!" Sacks snapped.

"Nora and the kids with you?" Fornell asked.

"No but it was still terrifying." Sacks replied.

"I am sorry Ron." Fornell apologized.

"At least she's dead." Sacks whispered.

"What?" Fornell asked.

"The deer it died and it's good because..." Sacks started.

"It didn't suffer." Fornell finished.

"Yeah something like that." Sacks finished.

* * *

 **A/N: Hopefully Fornell will catch on pretty quick and Sacks can go down. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	16. Mutual Feelings

The good news was that Tony had not suffered anymore hallucinations in the next forty-eight hours. The bad news was that the doctors did not feel comfortable sending him home just yet. In hindsight he probably shouldn't have spent all of group therapy talking about how he was going to blow his brains out as soon as he was released. He should have lied and said that he was completely healed and that it was a miracle. Then he could have gone back to his townhouse and eaten his gun. He doubted that Gibbs or anyone who would miss him. It was obvious that Gibbs did not care for him and the others would move on pretty easily. He wasn't anybody. Just the bastard who had let his daughter die. He had let her die. What was wrong with him? Why didn't he notice that truck until it was too late? Why did he destroy any relationship he had? He had done it with Kate, with Jeanne, with Zoe, with Ziva, and now with his own daughter. He couldn't understand why everybody was trying to force him to get better. He especially could not understand why Gibbs of all people was trying to fix him. Hadn't he endured the same fate? Somehow Tony doubted that Leroy Jethro Gibbs was willing to accept any help during his own time of loss. He had just managed to come around some how. If it was good enough for Gibbs than why was it not good enough for him. He closed his eyes and prayed for death to come to him. He was in his forties, he didn't eat as well as he should, and he'd had the freakin plague. Surely there was something brewing in his body. Just waiting to pop up and kill him. Well now would be the perfect time for his body to betray him. At least then it wouldn't be a suicide. He would not have the stigma attached to his death. He would just be dead by the decision of his body instead of his mind.

* * *

It was surreal for Ziva to think about, coming back to the United States. It was not the ideal situation for her but she didn't have much choice. She had no real desire to return to Mosad, the farm house was gone, and Gibbs was pretty forceful. It would be nice to see her old friends again and be able to reconnect with everyone. Everybody except Tony that is. He would be staying with Gibbs once they got home. So Ziva had opted to stay in a nearby hotel until she could find her own apartment. The doctors had given her the clear to leave the country and return home. So long as she monitored her blood-pressure. She was also told that she could potentially have more children but she would have to be extremely cautious and would be classified as high risk. It was nice to know she could carry more children but babies were the furthest thing from her mind right now. At the moment all she wanted was her Tali. She had nearly died and lost two years of her life for that child and Tony had destroyed everything in a matter of months. If she never saw that bastard again it would be too soon.

* * *

Gibbs had hoped that finding Ziva alive would allow for some healing for both her and Tony. Instead it seemed that Ziva purely despised Tony. The cruelest part was that she wanted the exact same thing as Tony. She wanted him to die as much as he wanted to be dead. He wished that he could just make her see how much he was hurting. Maybe that would give some hope to their relationship. Because now more than ever they needed each other. Unfortunately his pleas to Ziver fell on deaf ears and Tony didn't seem to care about anything anymore. A feeling he knew all too well. He felt and understood the pain of both Tony and Ziva. He had empathy and compassion but he refused to let them start to hate each other. He would give Ziva some time to adjust to life and Tony time to cope out of the hospital and then they would be forced to talk. He knew the odds of them falling back in love and getting a storybook happy ending were pretty slim but he refused to let them live the rest of their lives on bad terms. For the sake of Tali's memory they had to at least pretend to get along.

* * *

McGee walked along the dark sidewalk that led to Tony's townhouse. He had not been there since the day following the accident but one of the neighbors had called him to report a fowl odor coming from Tony's apartment. His heart skipped a beat fearing that they had forgotten Tony's goldfish. Until he remembered that the fish were safe in the care of Abby. He suspected that they had just left some old milk or meat out on the counter when they were clearing out the fridge. Not wanting to bother Abby, Bishop, or Ducky. He had made the trip to Tony's townhouse alone. His heart broke when he arrived to Tony's unit and found the door still unlocked. He stepped into the house and flipped on the light switch. He heard a noise that sounded like a baby crying out in pain. For a moment he thought that it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Until the odor hit him. He remembered that smell from when Sarah was a baby. The nasty odor of a sick babies feces. Had Tony left an old diaper in the garbage pale. No this was too fresh. He picked up his pace and rushed down the hallway towards Tali's nursery. He raced through the open door and what he saw caused his heart to drop to the floor. He rushed over to the crib, yanked his phone from his pocket, and dialed 911.

"Hello?"

"Yeah this is Timothy McGee."

"I need to report an abandoned and distressed infant."

"I don't know how long it has been here but it has a soiled diaper and has been without food far too long for a child of it's age."

"3451 Dawson Drive, Unit B."

"Thank you"

* * *

 **A/N: Any idea who the baby is and why he/she was abandoned in Tony's apartment? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	17. Jonah Ellis DiNozzo

McGee studied the baby who was lying in Tali's crib. He wasn't great a guessing such things but he doubted the child was more than a month old. It had chestnut brown hair and the standard blue eyes. It looked like Tony, a lot like him actually. McGee felt terrible for calling the child "it" but he was even worse at guessing gender than he was ages, in infants anyway. He knew the obvious way but this baby was in desperate need of a diaper. He looked around the room trying desperately to find a diaper bag or anything that could assist this child. He found only a small note sitting beside the baby in Tali's crib. He picked up the note and prayed that this would give him some kind of clue

 _Tony,_

 _This is your son. The one I told you about six months ago? The one you had agreed to raise. Imagine my anger when I arrived to the hospital and you never showed. I tried calling you but you never answered. For days your phone has gone straight to voice-mail. Anyway YOUR son is a week and a half old. He was born on June 16th, weighed seven pounds even, and was nineteen inches long. His name is Jonah Ellis DiNozzo. I pushed him out of me and brought him home from the hospital. I raised him for a week and a half. Now my role in his life is done. I only kept him because YOU wanted him. YOU wanted to raise him. I never wanted kids but YOU did. Well I see you have a nursery all set up. For a girl, an older girl. Not sure what that is but I am done with both of you,_

 _Goodbye Forever, Zoe._

* * *

McGee could not believe what he had just read. That Tony had a child with Zoe, a child that Zoe had abandoned. Even more shocking Jonah was born the day that Tali died. Meaning he had more than likely not been on the planet at the same time as his older sister. He knew that Tony and Zoe's relationship had ended on bad terms but he was not expecting anything like this. He did not peg Zoe as the type to just abandon her child. He knew that she did not want children. That was something he had discussed with Tony in the darkness of Tony's old apartment. Still what kind of monster abandoned a baby like this? He tried to rationalize that she just had postpartum depression and that is what fueled this move. That had to be it or at least he sure hoped that it was. Because no child deserved to be abandoned. At once his anger was replaced by fear. What if he had not come when he did and Jonah had died? What if he died now? He had been without nourishment for God only knows how long. Carefully he reached into the crib and scooped Jonah into his arms.

"Hi Jonah, I am your Uncle Tim. I sure wish your dad had told me about you. I'd have bought you so many gifts. A lot of baby Dr. Who gear just to make your daddy mad. Your dad is a good guy. He really is. He is just a little sick right now but you will meet him soon enough, and I know that he will just love you." McGee explained, cradling the infant close to his chest.

* * *

It was not long before help arrived and Jonah was rushed away in an ambulance, McGee followed close behind in his car. He could not remember the last time he was so flipped out. He was scared for Jonah and worried for Tony. How on Earth would Tony cope with the loss of a second child? Especially if this child were one he never even got to meet? The ambulance swung into the ambulance bay and McGee parked in the closest available spot. He jumped out of the car and rushed inside. Just in time to see Jonah rushed through the big double doors. McGee ran over to the main desk, nearly flipping over to the other side.

"May I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"That baby that was brought in he's my friend's son." McGee wheezed.

"Were you babysitting him? Do we need to contact your friend or have you already contacted the parents?" The receptionist asked.

"The mom is not involved and the dad is in the hospital recovering from an illness." McGee explained.

"Is their anyone in the immediate family we can contact?" The receptionist asked.

"No family, our boss is Tony's emergency contact but he is out of the country at the time." McGee explained.

"What is his name?" The receptionist asked.

"Jethro Gibbs" McGee replied.

"I will contact him right away. You just sit tight." The receptionist replied.

"Will I be able to hear anything?" McGee asked.

"No but you will be able to see the child once he is set up in a room." The receptionist replied.

"Thank you" McGee replied.

* * *

McGee sat beside Jonah's crib in the small hospital room. This was his first time in a NICU, that he could remember anyway. He had seen his cousin through the window when he was four but he could not remember that. He only knew this because of the picture that hung on the wall of his aunt's room. His cousin had died when he was three days old and those pictures were all the family had. He looked down at Jonah and wondered if Jonah would have the same fate as his cousin who never even got a real name. God he wished that Gibbs was here now or that they had learned about Jonah before Zoe abandoned him and before Tony lost his mind.

* * *

Tony stared blankly at the wall. He just wanted to go home. They said maybe at the end of the week but maybe not. It depended on how he did. For the first time in days he was not thinking about Tali. His mind was on his son. The son he had forgotten about in his grief. The son who was due any second now if he were not born already. He longed to hold his son but he had to get his shit together before that could happen.

* * *

 **A/N: Tony remembered his son, now he can begin to heal. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	18. Secrets

A nurse had helped McGee lift Jonah from his crib and placed him into his arms. They couldn't tell him much, more than that he was doing well and the main concern was his dehydration. He was on an IV drip to return the fluids to his tiny body. They were looking to find a mother willing to donate breast milk to help boost him up. McGee wished that Delilah had already delivered her baby and could produce breast milk. He knew that Breena had breast fed Victoria but that had ended not long after the now toddler was introduced to solid foods. Maybe they still had some frozen from when Breena was stuck working long hours.

"He sure is a cute little guy." Nurse Lisa commented to McGee.

"He looks just like his dad." McGee explained.

"Where is his father anyway?" Lisa asked.

"Hospital, Jonah had an older sister Tali but she was killed. He broke down after that. I don't even know if he knows about his son." McGee explained.

"And the mother?" Lisa asked.

"Different moms, long personal story." McGee replied

"Well I hope that his daddy is out soon, so they can be a family." Lisa commented.

"Not as much as I do." McGee replied.

* * *

It was late at night when Gibbs and Ziva's plane touched down in DC. Ziva was half asleep so Gibbs ended up carrying her off the plane. Everybody thought that they were newlyweds but he quickly corrected them, saying that she was his daughter. She was doing remarkably well given all that she had been through but she was still extremely weak. When he took her home the doctors had warned that it could be weeks, months, even years before she was back to her old self. If she ever returned to her old self that is.

* * *

Ever since Tony remembered his son, he wanted only to leave the hospital. Unfortunately getting out of the psych ward after a breakdown was not as easy as one would think. He tried to play off that he was doing fine but they just commented on his progress. He had tried to formally asking to be released method and they had said that he needed further evaluation first. This was not a "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" type of hospital. It wasn't that he was trapped there or at risk of being lobotomized, but they did have a job to do. They couldn't risk sending him home only for him to eat his gun or going on a shooting spree immediately upon returning home. He knew they had his best interests at heart. Still he wanted nothing more than to be with his boy. He had dreamed of his son for so long but in all of those dreams. Tali was holding her new brother and laughing. Everybody would come to the hospital just like when Victoria was born and they would be a happy family once and for all. Sadly that was not meant to be. Tali was dead and knowing Zoe he had blown his only chance to know Jonah Ellis. The son who was named for Tony's friend in Philadelphia. The man who had gone to the police academy just out of high school and instantly became Tony's best friend. He had died just like Tali. Standing with Tony on the roadside. A car came out of nowhere and ran him down. They were just a few feet apart, almost touching really and yet only Jonah had been killed. It was a black truck too going way to fast. Tony had been knocked over but other than that he was fine. Jonah on the other hand had severe injuries and had died at the hospital. Zoe had never particularly liked Jonah and couldn't understand why Tony was so shaken by his death. She would have never understood why Tony packed up and left in the middle of the night. Moving to Baltimore and completely blocking out Philadelphia and writing everybody off. Until Zoe came back into his life. Only to break his heart again. At least they had a son a beautiful son. Tony would always love Jonah even if he never got to meet him. He would carry him in his heart just the same as he did with everybody he loved and had loved. He would tell Jonah of his sister, namesake, and all the others who he had lost. Suddenly a sick feeling washed over his already emotionally ravaged body and mind. Gibbs had always said. "There was no such thing as a coincidence." It was rule eight or part of it if Tony was remembering it correctly. Tali's death was just like Jonah's. Could that mean that somebody had taken her out? Somebody who knew the story? But who knew the story. The only person Tony had talked about Jonah too was Jimmy and Palmer would never hurt a fly. That just left the people from Philadelphia but who from Philadelphia even knew where he was? Zoe... The sick feeling grew worse, Tony cupped his hands over his mouth and took off running for the bathroom. After retching into the toilet for what felt like forever he pulled himself up, splashed water in his face, and studied himself in the mirror. Maybe he hadn't improved as much as he had hoped, maybe he really did belong in here, maybe he should not be allowed to see Jonah. Surely he was crazy because there was no way that Zoe would hurt an innocent child, right?

* * *

Jimmy bolted up in bed, screaming the name of his baby girl, and drenched in sweat. He'd been having nightmare ever since Tali's death. Ever since he had held Tony and tried so hard to console him over the grief. He knew that nothing his said or did would to any good. Just like it hadn't done any good when he had lost Jessica. Except Tali's death was totally different than Jessica's. He was young and naive and Tiffany was two years older and wild. He had known better than to get into the car that night. He was lucky to have walked away. Tiffany was paralyzed from the neck down and Jessica was dead. He had no idea what happened to the men they had run down but he regularly dreamed about seeing the one man fly over the hood of the car while the other went to the side. The man who went to the side, he looked so familiar. So much like...

"TONY!" Jimmy cried, even more sweat pouring down his face.

* * *

 **A/N: First let me apologize for my unexpected hiatus. My laptop broke Friday night and while I got a new one Saturday I could not install anything until this morning. Everything should return to the regular schedule tomorrow.**

* * *

 **A/N 2: On to the story. Could Zoe have been involved in Tali's death and how does Tiffany play into everything. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	19. Another Twist

Tony looked down at the latest mindless craft he was being forced to create. Well he couldn't say forced it was free choice day. Which meant that various projects were lined up on two tables. Tony had selected painting, he had always loved painting. He found himself painting a picture of his baby girl. He was painting a photograph from memory. It was taken by his Aunt Martha when he was still in Paris. Zoe had sent him a copy of her ultrasound and he was showing it to Tali. He remembered how excited Tali was to have a baby brother. Apparently baby brothers were the hottest gift for a two year old girl. He remembered praying that it would stay that way. Now Tali would never get to know her brother. She would never get to hold him or play with him. She would never be able to fight with him and complain to her friends about how much he drove her crazy.

"That is a lovely painting, Mr. DiNozzo." Dr. Jenkins commented.

"Thanks it's my little girl Tali and my unborn son." Tony explained.

"Son? You never mentioned a son. Did your partner miscarry?" Dr. Jenkins asked.

"I don't know what happened with him. He was due around the time Tali died but I was in such a haze I forgot about him until now." Tony explained.

"I am going to speak with your therapist, I want this brought up in today's session." Dr. Jenkins replied.

* * *

Gibbs was beyond surprised when he checked his messages and discovered McGee's voicemail. He could not believe that Tony had a son, even more surprising Tony had never mentioned Zoe's pregnancy. According to the note McGee had found Tony had been awarded custody before Tali's death. He couldn't say that he was surprised by Zoe's actions. She had seemed very career oriented and somewhat selfish. If he was being perfectly honest he had no idea what Tony saw in her. This incident had been the nail in the coffin of any respect he had for that woman. He had come to the hospital as soon as he got the news. He now stood in Jonah's room in the NICU. McGee stood across from him and Delilah was in the center of the group. He looked down into the crib and studied the sleeping infant. As much as Tali had looked like Ziver, Jonah looked like DiNozzo.

"So he's going to be OK?" McGee asked.

"All of his tests came back clear they just want his doctor to look him over one more time and then he is going to be released." Gibbs explained.

"Is there anything else we need to know?" Delilah asked, they would be keeping Jonah until Tony was well enough to take over.

"He's a little underweight so you are going to have to make sure he gets plenty to eat and bring him in for a daily weigh in until he is cleared by his pediatrician." Gibbs explained.

"We can handle that." McGee assured.

"We have a breast milk donor. My friend from the wheelchair mom's support group is a milk donor. When she heard the story she offered to do it for free." Delilah explained.

"Breast milk donor? From the computer? Is that safe?" Gibbs asked.

"I actually knew Eve back in high school. She has Cerebral Palsy and I shadowed her for a Social Studies report. We ended up getting close and she was one of the first people from my hometown to reach out to me after I was paralyzed." Delilah explained.

"She is also very healthy and only had two sexual partners in her entire life. Breast milk donors have to go through extensive testing before they are approved." McGee explained.

"Yeah but didn't you grow up out west?" Gibbs asked.

"Well the Midwest but Eve's husband was just stationed at Quantico." Delilah explained.

"If your sure that it's safe." Gibbs remarked.

"I take it they didn't have this when Kelly was born." McGee remarked.

"People used wet nurses but it was uncommon in our circle." Gibbs explained.

"What else was different?" Delilah asked.

"Well when Kelly was one she pooped in her car-seat so Shannon carried her on her lap the rest of the drive." Gibbs explained.

"You'd be crucified if you did that now." Delilah commented.

"I wish Tony or Jimmy were here to make an off color Jesus joke." McGee sighed.

"They'll be back soon enough." Gibbs assured.

* * *

Jimmy fiddled with his plastic hospital bracelet. He had been cleared to return home but was now labeled as at risk for panic attacks and was being sent home with a prescription for pills meant to control the attacks. The panic attacks were under control, at least enough to satisfy his doctors but his fears were not. Especially now with his added fear about Tony hating him. His high school baby mama had hit and killed Tony's friend from Philadelphia. He had first lost his child and now years later he may have lost his closest friend.

* * *

Dr. Issac Roshel made his way into his office. It had been a long and difficult day. Mercifully he did not have to give any bad news but he did have five woman in labor and he had to handle two c-sections one of which was classified as an emergency. All this with his usual nurse out sick and the computer systems going down, twice. He wanted only to finish up his desk work and then head for home. Back to his wife and sons. He was hunched over his computer wondering what else could go wrong. When he heard a knock on the door. Fearing he was about to find out he was could not hide the reluctance in his voice as he told the person to come in. He was surprised to see his former nurse who had years ago gotten a job as a nurse practitioner in an office across town standing before him. They had ended on good terms but their busy schedules made for few and far between meetings, and Rhonda never left the office in the middle of the day.

"Rhoda to what do I owe the pleasure?" Dr. Roshel asked.

"I am working at Tel-Aviv hospital now in the coma ward." Rhonda explained.

"So?" Dr. Roshel questioned

"One of my patients Ziva David. She was with you when I left." Rhonda started.

"What about her?" Dr. Roshel questioned, he didn't have time for this.

"She was a patient until just a few days ago. They say that she had severe preeclampsia and that she collapsed just after being diagnosed by you. Her blood pressure was close to two hundred when she was admitted." Rhonda explained.

"I remember caring for Miss. David until the day I informed her that she was carrying a daughter. Then that night her friend called me and informed me that she had been in an accident and was being treated by a specialist at the hospital. I would never allow a woman to continue a pregnancy with blood pressure that high." Dr. Roshel explained.

"Well they all told me it was preeclampsia. Her friend Orli was outraged that you allowed her to continue the pregnancy." Rhonda remarked.

"Orli Elbaz?" Dr. Roshel questioned.

"Yes the head of Mossad you are lucky to be alive." Rhonda replied.

"She is the woman who told me that Ziva was in an accident." Dr. Roshel commented.

* * *

 **A/N: Sounds like Ziva's condition was not as innocent as it seems. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	20. Revealed

After spending a week and a half in the hospital Tony was finally cleared to go home. He was not able to stay on his own just yet but at least he was out of the hospital. He would be going back to Gibbs' place at least until he was cleared to be on his own again. He was excited to have a degree of freedom after so many days of being confined to the hospital's halls but nothing compared to finally being able to meet his son. He could not wait to be back on his feet and be able to get a place to share with Jonah. He wasn't sure where he would go, he just knew that he could not go back to that townhouse. Even if Tali had not been killed in front of their home. He still would be unable to return to that house. Too many memories haunted those walls and plagued his soul. He would start over with Jonah and hopefully they would have a happier outcome. Jonah would never replace Tali but he would at least heal Tony's heart. It would take a long time and there would still be a good amount of heartache, but at least he had the opportunity for a healing fresh start.

* * *

McGee cradled Jonah in his arms as they sat in the nursery. In a matter of months there would be more baby furniture and cuter decorations but for now it was just a crib, changing table, and rocking chair. The room had been tossed together in a matter of hours when they learned that Jonah would be staying with them until Tony got home. As happy and relieved as he was that Tony was finally well enough to come home. It was hard to think about Jonah leaving. The child had only been in the McGee's custody for a few days but they had really bonded in that time. He was grateful that Tony was finally coming home but that didn't make losing Jonah any easier. Yes they would be just a short drive away and McGee would be minding Tony and Jonah if Gibbs had to go out, still it wouldn't be the same.

"Well Jonah you will be meeting your daddy soon. He is great, you are going to love him, but I am really going to miss you. Be good for your daddy though and try to keep him smiling. He's going through a tough time right now. See you used to have a sister, you still do, but she was killed a couple of weeks ago. It was a bad accident. Your daddy really needs you right now. He loves you so much though. He really does and so do I. We all do but I bet that nobody loves you more than your sister Tali and one day we will tell you all about her." McGee explained.

* * *

The drive back to Gibbs' place was made in total silence. Tony picked at the lose piece of leather on the door and stared out the windshield studying the horizon. Gibbs just focused on the road, he was driving incredibly slow by Gibbs' standards. Still going above the speed limit but he probably wouldn't get a ticket for these speeds. The men knew each other pain but neither could think of exactly what to say. Tony was still fragile and Gibbs had not been blessed with more children after Kelly died. If it were anyone else there would be no problem at all, but Tony had too much respect for Gibbs and Gibbs did not want to send his boy back over the edge. At long last they pulled into Gibbs' driveway. Gibbs got out first and grabbed Tony's bags. Tony watched his boss make his way inside before getting out of the car and shuffling inside. He could hear yelling coming from the basement and rushed down to see what was the matter. He found Gibbs and Ziva standing in front of the work bench. Gibbs with his arms crossed over his chest and a stern look on his face. Ziva was waving her arms and had her face twisted into a violent scowl.

"I do not want him here! How can you bring him here?!" Ziva barked.

"He needs somebody to keep an eye on him! He's a suicide risk!" Gibbs snapped.

"Well then he should have stayed in the hospital!" Ziva screamed.

"He needed to be with his son!" Gibbs argued.

"He shouldn't have a son! It's not fair!" Ziva cried.

"Why would you say that?!" Gibbs demanded.

"Because it's not fair! _He_ gets a new son and happiness and _I_ lose everything!" Ziva shouted pointing angrily in Tony's direction.

"Ziver" Gibbs called.

"Save it! I cannot be here if he is here! I just can't!" Ziva screamed rushing up the stairs, shoving Tony down in the process.

* * *

Ziva sat alone in her dark hotel room. She could not believe that Gibbs had chosen Tony over her. Yes they were both grieving fathers but she was more like Gibbs than Tony. Tony at least had Jonah, she had nobody. She had never even gotten to meet her daughter. Tony had, had her for a whole summer. One magical summer where they could be happy and bond. Meanwhile Ziva was losing two years of her life lying in a coma. A coma she had fallen into because of her baby. The baby she had loved and never even gotten to hold. Tears stung her brown eyes and her body began to quiver. She grabbed the lamp and thrust it against the room. It hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces, just like her heart.

"TALI!" Ziva screamed.

* * *

After nearly three weeks, Braxton and Son's Auto Repair was finally up and running again. The shop had closed unexpectedly when Braxton's wife required emergency surgery. Thankfully she was now doing well and the company could finally reopen. They immediately got to work on the vehicles that were waiting in the shop. Most cars had been moved to other shops but a few had been left behind for one reason or another. The men were hard at work trying to get caught up when they heard an ear piecing scream coming from the youngest of the family, Braxton's only daughter Violet. The boys dropped their tools and rushed to the aide of their daughter and sister. Violet was not likely to scream in fear. Growing up with eight brothers did not allow for a fearful woman.

"What is Vy?" Justin asked.

"This car it's covered in blood and hair." Violet explained.

"Yeah the driver hit a deer." Braxton reminded.

"That's not deer fur. I wasn't worried until found this." Violet explained handing her dad a rag.

* * *

Taking his daughter's word for it Braxton carefully unwrapped the dirty rag. Lying in the center of the dirty rag was a bloodied and battered pink bead bracelet. Braxton could feel his heart racing in his chest. This had to be a mistake it just had to be. Maybe the deer had the bracelet in it's mouth when it hit the car. No Violet was right this was the hair of a human and surely the deer would have either swallowed or spit out the bracelet upon being hit. He took a closer look and his stomach dropped to the floor, _"Tali DiNozzo, Abba's Qatan 'Mal'akh"_ Tali DiNozzo was the name of the sweet little girl who had been killed in a hit in run a few weeks back. The same day the truck had come in actually, this truck was to a T the truck described on the news. Braxton felt as if he was going to be sick.

* * *

 **A/N: Looks like Sacks has finally been caught. Tali's bracelet should translate to "Daddy's Little Angel" but I am not sure since I used an online translator. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	21. Adjustments

Two weeks had passed since Tony was released from the hospital. In that time they had not heard a word from Ziva. Gibbs had assured them that it was normal and she was simply grieving in her own way. She would come around eventually but what he could not answer was if there was any hope for Tony and Ziva's relationship. As much as he wanted to be in a relationship with Ziva, to make a family with her. He mainly just wanted to have her friendship back. They had been the best of friends for so long and now none of that mattered. Part of him wished that he had never warmed up to her but then Tali would have never existed. Then again maybe that was for the best.

* * *

Ziva David was officially out of her hotel room and into a dingy and crammed apartment. It was a tiny two room apartment in a poor neighborhood. Her apartment was at the end of a long hallway with lights that flickered and hummed with every step. The floors in her unit were carpeted and somehow both sticky and squishy at the same time. The walls were white and gray, and it was clear that the roof leaked. Her bed was a lumpy and squeaky pullout couch, her kitchen table was a wobbly card table and a cheap wooden stool. The apartment also always smelled like cabbage and damp. Before she fell into the coma she had a beautiful farmhouse and a sweet baby girl growing in her womb. Now she had a sketchy apartment and a dead daughter in an urn. She felt like the past two years of her life were a movie. She had come to the theater but fell asleep during the previews and did not wake until the theater was dark and everybody had gone home. She was locked inside the darkness and she had no idea when of if she would ever get out.

* * *

It had only been a month since the death of his daughter but Tony was already planning on returning to work. He wasn't sure if he could handle it but he was desperate for the normalcy. He would have to pass a psych evaluation before he could return. He knew there was a good chance he would not be cleared to return to the field but maybe he could at least get on desk duty. If not he would have at least tried to take a step in the right direction.

"I called Vance." Tony commented as Gibbs came up out of the basement.

"What did he say?" Gibbs asked.

"My psych eval is at O' Nine Hundred, Monday." Tony explained.

"Don't rush into anything." Gibbs warned.

"I won't" Tony assured.

"Don't forget you will have to find a sitter for Jonah." Gibbs reminded.

"I can put him in NCIS daycare." Tony commented.

"Not until he's six months old." Gibbs reminded.

"I'll start making calls." Tony sighed.

"Uh you're going to need to change Jonah first." Gibbs replied, pinching his nose.

"Hey Boss I bet you regret not changing Kelly's diaper when you had the chance." Tony commented, slyly.

"Nice try" Gibbs laughed.

* * *

Tony carried Jonah upstairs and placed the squirming infant on the changing table. Jonah was so different from Tali but even if his personality and appearance were identical to Tali's. He would still never be her. If he were to have more children with Ziva, they would never be Tali. No child would ever be Tali. That was why it hurt so much that she was gone. Tony had Jonah now, he was not a replacement, but he was a tiny baby who depended on Tony for everything. He was healing Tony better than any therapy or medication. He was the bright spot in Tony's life, right now. Tony wanted only for Ziva to let go of her anger and except Jonah. Then maybe one day they could be a happy little family again.

"Gaaahhhhhhhhahhhahuhh" Jonah cooed.

"You are such a happy little fella." Tony said, gently stroking his son's face.

* * *

Ron Sacks was in trouble, he could not get around that. The auto body-shop had finally gotten around to his vehicle, but instead of fixing it. They had discovered Tali's bracelet and a few of her hairs. The police had come to take him down for questioning and now he was on the run. As far as his family knew he was undercover, it was a dangerous case and they were not to answer the phone or door for anyone until he returned. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this one but he had to act fast, or else. He had bought a cheap car off of Craigslist under a false name, bought a burn phone from a gas station, and told his boss at the CIA that his wife was in the hospital and he would not be answering the phone. He was sure to warn his boss not to call his family, not now. He swung the car into a Motel 6, not the nicest place in the world but also not the worst. He grabbed his things, making triple sure that he had his gun, and headed inside.

"Checking in?" The manager asked.

"Yes" Sacks replied.

"Name?" The manager asked.

"Cornelius Hill" Sacks lied.

"What kind of room would you like?" The manager asked.

"Regular" Sacks replied.

"One bed?" The manager asked.

"Yes sir" Sacks replied.

"How many nights? The manager asked.

"One" Sacks replied.

"OK that will be seventy nine, twenty. Check out is at noon, cash or credit?" The manager explained.

"Cash" Sacks replied, handing the manger as wad of bills.

"Here's your change, enjoy your stay. Pool closes at ten!" The manger called.

* * *

Jimmy Palmer was in a terrible mood. He was still shaken by Tali's death and everything that happened in the hospital. Now Tori was finally back with them but they could not go home. That morning their pipes had ruptured and now they were in the Motel Six at least overnight because Ed had the stomach flu. He was on his way back from the ice machine when he saw a familiar face.

"Ron?" Jimmy called.

"I am not Ron! How dare you assume all black people look alike!" Sacks snapped.

"I am sorry sir, it's just. You look like somebody I used to work with." Jimmy rambled nervously

"Shut up!" Sacks barked.

* * *

Sacks was in trouble now. He could not believe that weasel Jimmy Palmer had found him out. This was a sting he just knew it. Jimmy would get close to him and then he would pretend to invite him to his room to hang out. He would arrive and all of Team Gibbs would be waiting to throw his ass in jail. He couldn't risk that. He patted his gun and made his way down the hall casually following after Jimmy.

"Jimmy!" Sacks called.

"Look I am sorry." Jimmy apologized.

"It's alright son. I had a terrible day today uh meet me in the stairwell, we can talk there." Sacks apologized,

"Yes sir" Jimmy replied nervously.

* * *

Jimmy followed Sacks down the hall and into the stairwell. Sacks slammed the door behind him and then led him down a level. Jimmy turned around just in time to see Sacks withdrawing his gun from his jacket. Before he could react Sacks had pulled the trigger and a bullet had lodged itself into Jimmy's heart. Sacks took off running and Jimmy lay on the floor slowly bleeding to death. The last thing he heard was Sack's gun crashing to the floor.

* * *

 **A/N: Will somebody find Jimmy in time? Sacks sealed his fate when he dropped his gun. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	22. Gut Feeling

Breena was officially worried sick. Jimmy had left twenty minutes ago to go for ice from the machine. Even if he had to go to another floor or the lobby for ice he should have been back by now. He was still recovering from his crisis and something of a flight risk. What if he had another freak out and ended up bolting. Finally she had, had enough and dialed Jimmy's number. His phone rang for a while and then went to voicemail. Breena hung up and repeated the process two more times. Finally she'd had enough. She looked at Tori who was sleeping peacefully in her crib. She hated to leave her daughter but she needed to find her husband. She left Tori sleeping in the crib and headed down the hall. The ice machines were closer to the stairwells at the end of the hall than they were to the elevators, so she chose to just run down the stairs from floor to floor. Swung the door open and began to race down the concrete stairs. It was not long before she was overpowered by the smell of blood. Running on adrenaline she picked up her pace. It was not long before she came to a platform and first spotted blood on the wall. She skidded to a rushing halt when she discovered the source of the blood. Jimmy was lying in a ball on the blood soaked platform, blood was pouring from his chest. She fell to her knees beside her husband, praying that she could remember that Intensive First Aide course she had taken in college. She first checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one. Even if it was weak and somewhat erratic. She applied pressure to the wound and held it on while she dialed 911 and then alerted the front desk. Also informing them that she had left her infant unattended, never imagining that something like this would happen.

"Hang on Jimmy, help is on the way. You are going to be just fine." Breena assured.

* * *

Tony had a bad feeling, very similar to what he felt the day that Tali died. He found himself sitting in the rocking chair beside Jonah's crib, terrified to leave his son. Fearing that he would suffer the same fate as his sister. He was right beside Tali that day, probably closer to her than he was to Jonah, but still he could not take the risk. He could not lose another child. He looked into the crib and watched Jonah sleep. His gut was churning and he wished that he could know why.

* * *

Gibbs was down in the basement waiting for a call from Ducky. The old Medical Examiner was the only person from the NCIS family that Ziva would even say a word to. He knew that she was grieving but still he wished that she would speak with them. He wanted to talk her through everything, to make her see that there was life after the loss of a child. Most of all he wanted her to speak with Tony, really talk to him. Not just have a screaming match that ends with everyone in tears. At long last his phone rang and even better it was Ducky. He pressed answer and was greeted by the sound of the doctor crying on the other end.

"Ducky? Are you alright."

"Je...Jethro?"

"I'm here Duck, what's up?"

"Oh Jethro, it is so horrible. It is Mr. Palmer, he's been shot."

"Jimmy's been shot?!"

"Yes, it was poor Breena who found him. I am not sure the specifics she was too hysterical to tell me much of anything. All I know is what I heard from the doctors. The bullet hit him directly in the heart it is nothing short of a miracle that he is still alive. He is in surgery now but he has lost a significant amount of blood and the prognosis is grim."

"God, Duck that is horrible. What hospital is he at?"

"George Washington"

"I will get Tony and we will be there as soon as we can get a sitter for Jonah."

"Thank you, I am beside myself but Breena is a disaster."

"He'll be OK."

* * *

Tony knew by the grim expression on Gibbs' face that his fears had been confirmed. Still he could have never imagined the news he was about to receive. He could not believe that Jimmy had been shot in the heart. He was alive but in the most critical condition a hospital will list you as and the doctors were not very optimistic. He had come this floor but surviving a shot to the heart was extremely rare. Just the fact that he had lasted this long truly was nothing short of a miracle. Tony could not imagine the world without his friend. He had already lost his baby girl and nothing was worse than that but, losing Jimmy would be agonizing in itself. He would ache for Breena and Tori. Jimmy had to survive the family was plagued by too much loss already.

* * *

Breena was still in shock. She could not believe that her Jimmy had been shot. If it were not for the blood on her hands she would be sure that it was all a terrible nightmare. She desperately wished that she had made a mistake and it was somebody else in surgery right now. That Jimmy had just gone for a walk and would go up to their empty room. He would call and they would be happy together. Of course that left somebody else in critical condition.

"Family of James Palmer?" A doctor called.

"That's us." Breena replied.

"I am Dr. Walters and I preformed Jimmy's operation." Dr. Walters introduced.

"How is he?" Breena demanded.

"We managed to get him through surgery but he very nearly bled out and there is severe damage to the heart. He is extremely critical and the prognosis is very grim. At this point the only thing that can save him is a heart transplant but time is crucial." Dr. Walters explained.

* * *

 **A/N: Will Jimmy manage to beat the odds and pull through? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	23. Vigil

The entire NCIS family had gathered at Bethesda to rally around Breena and Jimmy. At this point Jimmy's only hope for survival was a heart transplant. The surgeons had worked desperately to save his heart but the damage from the bullet was too severe. Just the fact that he was alive was nothing short of a miracle. It was estimated that he had been lying in that stairwell for over fifteen minutes. The doctors had warned Breena to prepare herself and the officers who were caring for Tori had brought her to the hospital. Needless to say that the tension in the waiting room could be cut with a knife.

* * *

Breena tightly cradled Tori as she made her way into Jimmy's room. Typically infants and children under sixteen were not allowed to enter the ICU but given the circumstances and exception had been made. She hated that this may be the last time they were together as a family. She had almost gone for the ice but then Tori started to cry and Jimmy was wanting to get some exercise anyway. He had never returned and now everything had gone to hell. She was beside herself with grief. Ironically the only person who could console her at a time like this was Jimmy, and she may never hear his voice again.

"Jimmy you were shot and it's really, really bad. They were able to get the bullet but at this point your only hope is a heart transplant. They really don't know if you will survive. I just want you to know how much I love you. You are everything to me. I brought Victoria with me. That's how bad this is. They let me bring the baby into the ICU. You are too weak to be moved again but they really can't promise. I shouldn't be telling you this. I just love you so much and Tori loves you to. Your family is here and I...I really can't do this anymore. Ducky can bring Tori back later if you want but I have to get out of here. I love you. Just know that." Breena sobbed.

* * *

Ever since learning that Jimmy had been shot, Tony's bad feeling had only grown. The first suspect was always the spouse but Breena was ruled out by the hotel's security video. While they did not have cameras in the rooms. There were plenty in the hallway and the footage showed a black man usher Jimmy into the stairwell. Unfortunately the spot where Jimmy had been shot was a blind-spot but the man from the hall was the primary suspect. The man in the video was familiar to Tony but he could not place where from. That was not his primary concern however. His primary concern was the fact that it was Jimmy who had suspected that Tali's death was a homicide. Now it was Jimmy who had been shot and it was Jimmy lying in the hospital fighting for his life. Gibbs always said that there was no such thing as a coincidence and Mike Franks had said the same thing before him. If men that wise held that belief than it must be true. If Jimmy suspecting Tali's death was a homicide, Jimmy had been shot, Tony could recognize the suspected shooter, and there was no such thing as a coincidence. Did that mean that somebody Tony knew had murdered Tali and attempted to murder Jimmy? Who was the man and why did he look so familiar? A sick feeling washed over his soul as he remembered that death of his son's namesake. He remembered seeing the passenger of the truck.

* * *

 _FLASHBACK_

* * *

 _A young Tony DiNozzo stood on the sidewalk with his partner Jonah. They had just wrapped a rough case and were now enjoying some much deserved time off. Jonah had been going on and on about this new raw foods restaurant. Typically the young cop despised health food but Jonah had recently gotten engaged and was trying to be healthier. So Tony supported his friend's ideals. Besides they had been gorging on pizza and Chinese take out for the past two weeks. Along with eating healthier Jonah was also trying to walk more and drive less. They had stopped at his apartment so he could grab the wallet he had accidentally left at home. Had just returned when the car came out of nowhere. Tony could make out the faces of the occupants of the vehicles. It was girl who couldn't have been more than sixteen, boy who Tony doubted was even in high school yet. Something about that scene was disconcerting to Tony but before he could really think about it. The car slammed into him and Jonah, sending them flying in separate directions._

* * *

 _END FLASHBACK_

* * *

The sick feeling only grew as Tony recalled that horrible day. It was an unimaginable feeling of grief and pain. The men kid in the car was Jimmy. It all came rushing back to him. In the following days it was revealed the driver was a teenage girl influenced by alcohol. Jimmy was barely fourteen and had gotten the girl pregnant after somebody spiked the punch at a neighborhood party. Jimmy carried a tremendous amount of guilt and wrote a lovely apology letter. The girl however did not care. Another revelation was that the girl was faking pregnancy to get her hands on the boy's deceased father's life insurance benefits. Tony had desperately wanted to tell the boy that his child had not really died but everybody told him that would make things worse. It was not long until Tony couldn't take anymore and transferred to Baltimore. The next time he saw Jimmy was at NCIS. The young man was now pre-med and seemingly had no memory of the accident. Not wanting to cause hurt feelings Tony never brought that day up. He had even managed to bury it again. Until now if only he could figure out why.

* * *

Much to her reluctance Ziva David found herself in the same building as Tony. If Jimmy were not barely clinging to life she would never in a million years be in the same building as Tony. Ducky had sensed her anger and ushered her into the hospital cafeteria. She had ended up getting a vegetable soup from the vending machine. The broth was bitter and the vegetables were stale but Ziva didn't want anything else. She had been eating vegetable soup that day. She remembered it had this weird lemony taste and the smell was off. It was shortly after that, that she started feeling sick. An hour after she felt sick was when the coma came. The coma that took two years of her life, thanks to that stupid preeclampsia. Except she didn't remember the doctor saying the word preeclampsia. He had said that her blood-pressure was slightly elevated but not enough for concern. Though he did advise her to try and relax and to monitor herself for the next few days. If anything as amiss she was to come aback in or go to the ER. So how had she gone from barely elevated blood-pressure to severe preeclampsia in a matter of hours? Why had Orli refused the soup she offered. Even when her meal was twenty minutes late and she had been talking about how hungry she was.

"Ziva my dear are you alright?" Ducky asked.

"Ducky I... Ducky I think that I was poisoned." Ziva replied.

* * *

 **A/N: Whether they know it or not Tony and Ziva are putting the pieces together. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	24. Motives

The sound of Ducky's fork hitting the floor told Ziva that she should have worded her sentence better. He was already dealing with the idea of losing Jimmy and then she made it sound like she was currently in mortal danger as well. She was just so taken aback by that day. She should have seen that something was up. If she hadn't of been so dumb, she would not have missed her daughter's entire life. Everything was just too much for her and she couldn't hold back her grief anymore. She hadn't been able to hold anything back since the day that she learned Tali was dead. She wasn't even sure why she tried anymore.

"Good Lord! I will fetch a doctor right away! What are your symptoms?" Ducky cried.

"No not today. It was three years ago, when I went into my coma." Ziva clarified.

"Well what makes you believe that you were poisoned?" Ducky asked.

"I remember my soup tasted strange at lunch and not long after that is when I got sick." Ziva explained.

"Well that does sound plausible. Can you describe the taste of the soup?" Ducky asked.

"It was bitter and a little lemony. I wanted to send it back but Orli said that just a new recipe and that I shouldn't bother." Ziva explained.

"I can't think of any poison that has a lemony taste unless it was some sort of chemical. Unfortunately this many years down the line there is nothing we can test." Ducky explained.

"That is what I was afraid of." Ziva sighed.

"The good news is that I reach out to fellow Medical Examiners and Medical Doctors, see if any of them have heard of such a poison. There is also online research." Ducky assured.

"I just want to know why and who?" Ziva questioned.

"Now you said that you were out with Orli?" Ducky questioned.

"Yes it was her, my cousin, and myself. My cousin and I went to the bathroom and when we returned our food was at the table. They said it was preeclampsia but my doctor was not concerned and I had just left his office less than an hour before." Ziva explained.

"That certainly is suspicious, especially given that Orli has had issue with you in the past." Ducky remarked.

"Your right but now why?" Ziva asked.

"That is question for Orli." Ducky replied.

* * *

Before anybody knew it visitors hours were over and it was time to head home. Ducky stayed behind with Breena, Ziva headed to her apartment, McGee returned to Delilah, and Gibbs and Tony returned home together. All were deeply rattled by the ordeal of the day, but Ducky, Ziva, and Tony were all dealing with their own ordeals. The coming days would prove to be very challenging for all in the team but especially for these three.

* * *

Still haunted by the possibility of Ziva being poisoned and petrified by the idea of losing Jimmy, Ducky sat with his arm around Breena's shoulders. Jimmy's condition had continued to deteriorate as the day went on and now the doctors were saying that the heart had to be found in hours. That as little as twenty-four hours was time that Mr. Palmer simply did not have. Breena had been beside herself ever since hearing the latest blow. Ducky had put on his brave face but this afternoon had proved that things may never be OK again.

"Why did this have to happen to Jimmy?" Breena sobbed.

"That is what they are trying to figure out." Ducky replied.

"It's all too much. I mean I am praying for somebody else to die so that Jimmy can live. That somebody is another person's father, husband, brother, friend." Breena sobbed.

"That is the conflict that many face when a loved one is waiting for a heart. That is the hardest organ for a family to receive. One can survive with only one kidney or even lung, doctors preform partial liver transplants all the time, but the heart. Unless you are a fictional time lord you are born with only one heart and you cannot just cut it in half and stick it into the chest of another human." Ducky explained.

"I love him. I just want him to be well but I wish that it didn't mean that another has to die. That another family has to mourn." Breena explained.

"There are people out there without families whether they be homeless or just alone. Those are often donors. The homeless because it gets the corpses off the streets and the alone because it spares another family the ache of loss and/or leaves them a legacy." Ducky explained.

"Well lets hope one of those people dies in time to save Jimmy's life." Breena replied.

"That is all that we can do. That is all that we can do." Ducky replied.

* * *

Tony did not make a sound the entire drive home. He spoke only to thank Jonah's sitter but said nothing to Gibbs. The older man sensed that Tony was in no condition to speak and did not even attempt to start a conversation. Not that Gibbs was much for conversation anyway. Upon returning home Tony carried a sleeping Jonah upstairs and placed him into his crib. He had been a parent long enough to know that this peace would not last. Figuring that he may as well enjoy the peace while he could. He grabbed the baby monitor and headed downstairs. Gibbs was down in the basement so he was expecting it to be easy to maintain privacy. He fell onto the couch and buried his face in the pillow. He just wanted Jimmy to wake up so he could talk to him about the incident.

"You good?" Gibbs asked, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"I named Jonah after a friend of mine from Philadelphia. He was killed in a way similar to Tali. Jimmy was the boyfriend of the girl driving that night." Tony explained.

"So you suspect these two things are connected?" Gibbs asked.

"No such thing a coincidence, right?" Tony asked.

"Right" Gibbs replied.

"I just wish I could figure out why Tali was run down and why Jimmy was shot." Tony replied.

"What was the girl's name?" Gibbs asked.

"Tiffany Monroe" Tony replied.

"OK what was Jonah's full name?" Gibbs asked.

"Jonah Duncan Ellis-Sacks, he hated it. Said it sounded like a kids song." Tony laughed.

"Did you say Sacks?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah he had a twin brother, Ron who worked for the FBI..." Tony replied, shocked by what he had recalled.

* * *

 **A/N: Well now we have Sacks' motive. Now to just get Jimmy a heart and connect the dots. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading**


	25. No Such Thing As A Coincidence

Needless to say that things were very tense among the NCIS family. Between Jimmy's critical state, and Tony and Ziva's ongoing drama. There had not been a moment of peace in days. Jimmy had surprised and astonished the doctors by making it a week past the shooting. Initially Breena had been told that it would be a miracle if he made it twenty-four hours past the incident, but he had fought and was now on the seventh day. Even with Jimmy fighting his hardest he was still extremely critical and the doctors could make no promises. Breena had barely left the hospital in the seven days since Jimmy was admitted. If she had to leave Ducky would keep watch over his young mentee. Members of the team took turns sitting by Breena's side and making rare visits to Jimmy. Unfortunately due to his extremely critical state, Jimmy's visitors were greatly limited. Most days he was only allowed immediate family members and when visits were permitted they were limited to five to fifteen minute increments and extreme precautions had to be taken.

* * *

Tony and Ziva were still in deep mourning for Tali. Ziva was struggling with the fact that she had never known Tali and Tony was struggling with the guilt. Despite all that was happening around them, they still were refusing to speak to one another. Ziva still blaming Tony for the death of their daughter. Not seeing that Tony was completely destroyed by his daughter's death. Her grief had completely fogged her sense of logic. Gibbs wished desperately that his children would get their heads out of their asses and just talk to each other. Unfortunately Tony and Ziva were the most hard headed people that Leroy Jethro Gibbs had ever met. Getting just one of them to agree to anything was nothing short of impossible but both of them forget about it. Instead he resigned himself to hearing Tony cry at night and only seeing Ziva when their hospital visits happened to overlap.

* * *

Tony grimaced at the sight of Ziva's new car in the hospital's parking lot. Jimmy was actually doing well enough to handle visitors at the moment and of course now was when Ziva had to be here. He had been trying to see Jimmy all week but something always ended up getting in his way. Now what may literally be the one chance he had and Ziva was here. He didn't see the point to going in. Anytime Ziva saw him she went ballistic and the ICU waiting room was the worst place imaginable to have a big blow up. Sighing Tony texted Breena and said that something had come up. Before turning and exiting the hospital's parking lot. Knowing that Gibbs would wonder why he was home so soon. Tony turned and headed towards the local Best Buy. He didn't need or even want anything. He just figured that was the last place he would run into Gibbs. He found himself wandering aimlessly around the store. Simultaneously attracted to and trying his best to avoid the family walking around in the appliance section. It was a dad who looked to be about his age, a woman around Ziva's, a baby boy in a carrier, and a little girl who looked eerily like Tali. The girl whizzed passed him as he studied the Baby DVD's for shows to watch with Jonah. She grabbed a Doc McStuffins DVD and raced back to her daddy. Tali had loved Doc McStuffins.

"Sir! You need to move! I'm shopping!" The girl cried.

"Terri that was not very polite and besides I said one DVD." The father warned.

"I need to decide!" Terri cried.

"Well Johnny needs to get home. He is getting antsy from his shots." The father explained.

"Ted! Do not reason with her! Just apologize to the man she ran into and if she does not get her behind to checkout she is not getting anything!" The mom snapped.

"Zelda" Ted pleaded.

"No! Johnny is sick and I don't need her talking to strangers." Zelda snapped.

"Terri listen to your mother." Ted ordered.

"Alright" Terri sighed clutching the DVD and running after her mother.

"I am sorry for all of this. I am not sure if you have kids or if you do if you remember this stage. Well Terri has been acting up since the test came back positive." Ted explained.

"My daughter was wild at that age too. She was excited for her brother though. I never got to see how they would interact though." Tony sighed, wistfully, not realizing how much he had said.

"Oh did your wife lose the baby?" Ted asked.

"Tali died in an accident." Tony sighed.

"I am sorry to hear that. I guess I was a little too personal." Ted replied.

"No it's fine." Tony assured.

"I know it's not the same but we almost lost Terri just after Johnny was born. We were coming out of Chick-Fil-A and she ran out ahead of us like kids tend to do. This car just came out of nowhere, I swear that it tapped her. The driver got out and looked at her then sped off down the road." Ted explained.

"Was she OK?" Tony asked.

"Yeah but I just don't get why the man checked her and then sped away. I mean people got a good enough look at him and his truck to report him to the police." Ted explained.

"That is weird. Did they catch him?" Tony asked.

"Yeah but they let him go. I guess that he was somebody. They didn't even question him." Ted scoffed.

"What did he look like?" Tony asked.

"He was black, probably around our age, tall, average build, shaved head, brown eyes." Ted explained.

"That's pretty vague, what did the car look like?" Tony asked.

"Black truck, big, black truck with bars on the front." Ted explained.

"That... that car sound familiar." Tony stammered.

"Can you ID the driver? Maybe if somebody else turns him in he will finally get locked up for real. I hope it's not a friend. I just want that monster locked away." Ted explained.

"He's certainly not a friend. Look you should meet your wife. I have some calls to make." Tony replied.

* * *

Tony rushed out of the store trying his best to hide his fears. He was in shock, he was sure that it was all some strange hallucination. It couldn't be a coincidence. There are no such things as coincidences. He jumped off the sidewalk and made his way across the parking lot. He made it to his car before collapsing to his knees, his heart was racing and he felt sick. The vehicle Ted had described fit the truck that killed Tali to a T. He had seen the truck before too. Just a few weeks before Tali died. At Tobias Fornell's pool party. The car had belonged to Ron Sacks and while Tony didn't want to sound racist. The man Ted had described sounded an awful lot like Slacks. Slacks who despised Tony. Slacks who's brother had been Jonah's namesake, and had died right before Tony's eyes. He dialed 911 on his phone but his damn heart wouldn't slow down. By now he was alarmingly dizzy. He heard somebody calling to him on the other end but could not speak. He felt pavement shredding his face as he went down. He felt a hand grab his phone and press on his neck, and that was it.

"Yes this is Ted Donahue. I am in the parking lot of the Bethesda, Best Buy and I have reason to believe the man who just called you has suffered a heart attack."

"No I don't have medical training."

"In boy scouts like thirty years ago."

"OK you'll stay on the line? That's great thanks."

"I think that his name is Tony."

"He appears to be in his mid to late forties."

"I don't know we just chatted in the store for a few minutes."

"OK and the ambulance will be here in ten minutes?"

"Thank you, so much."

* * *

 **A/N: Will Tony be able to reveal what he learned? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	26. Piling Evidence

Gibbs was on the way to the hospital when he got the news. He had been planning on sitting with Jimmy for a bit and offering moral support to Breena. Not waiting for news on his former Senior Field Agent. Tony had told him that he was going to the hospital to visit Jimmy, but the paramedics had found him in the parking lot of the Best Buy. It was an apparent heart attack. The severity was unknown. Gibbs was near sick with dread. Tony was by all accounts healthy. He had been trying to get fit for the past couple of years and had gotten really serious since he had become a single parent to Tali. He was still young to at only forty-seven years old. He had been under a lot of stress with Tali's death but he was coping. Why had he had a heart attack and more importantly would he be OK?

"Agent Gibbs?" A doctor called.

"Over here!" Gibbs called back.

"I am Dr. Roosevelt, Tony's physician." Dr. Roosevelt introduced.

"How is he?" Gibbs asked.

"It was a minor cardiac event. As long as he follows doctors orders the damage should be at worst minimal. We would still like to keep him overnight for monitoring." Dr. Roosevelt explained.

"Can I see him?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes but he is sleeping and due to his lung damage we have him on the ventilator at the moment." Dr. Roosevelt explained.

"He's not going to like that." Gibbs replied.

"The good news is if his levels remain stable he will be off by tonight. He is in room 228 of the CCU and should remain there until his release. He is permitted three visitors at a time but there is no time limit unless it is nearing the end of visiting hours or his condition deteriorates." Dr. Roosevelt explained.

"Is there any idea of the cause?" Gibbs asked.

"Considering his cholesterol and blood pressure. I would say that it is stress or trauma induced. I understand that his daughter passed away recently." Dr. Roosevelt explained.

"Car accident it happened right in front of him." Gibbs replied.

"Then it was definitely stress induced. Is he under the care of therapist?" Dr. Roosevelt questioned.

"Yes a doctor Rachel Cranston." Gibbs replied.

"I would give her a ring and see if she can get to the bottom of this incident. Unless you think that he can open up to you." Dr. Roosevelt explained.

"I'll call Rachel in the morning if Tony doesn't speak with me tonight." Gibbs replied.

"Great" Dr. Roosevelt replied.

"Anything else?" Gibbs asked.

"Be gentle with him and don't push him too far." Dr. Roosevelt replied.

"Of course" Gibbs assured.

* * *

Tony surveyed his new surroundings. Yeah he was definitely in the hospital and he was on the ventilator. Oh joy he was reunited with his old friend. At least he wasn't in the ICU. God, he hated the Intensive Care Unit. He raised his wrist and studied his hospital band. He had suffered a mild heart attack and was in the Cardiac Care Unit. He wondered if Gibbs knew hew as here. If he was lucky they hadn't yet reached him, and he could convince the staff to tell Gibbs that he had been at the hospital. The last thing he needed was his former boss to think he had lied to him. The events in Best Buy were weighing heavily on his mind. If Terri had almost been killed by Sacks in a random attack. That sealed the deal, Tali's death was not an accident. Still why had Sacks murdered his child? Ron wasn't exactly the president of the Tony DiNozzo fan club but Tony didn't think the dislike was enough to merit the murder of a child. At least Tony didn't think that it was. At this point he had no idea what anything meant anymore. After a while he fell back asleep and when he woke again the ventilator had been removed and he was now on a nasal canula.

"Tony" Gibbs called.

"Boss it was the craziest thing. I was in the waiting room and I just went down." Tony lied.

"Medics said you were in the Best Buy parking lot. Don't lie to me." Gibbs insisted.

"Ziva was here." Tony replied.

"I'm not supposed to stress you but you are going to have to see her at some point." Gibbs insisted.

"Why? Tali is dead. We have no need to be together again." Tony replied.

"You need to learn to get along because you both loved Tali." Gibbs explained.

"But she hates me." Tony reminded.

"She doesn't hate you. She is mourning just as much as you are." Gibbs reminded.

"What if she never forgives me?" Tony asked.

"She will but it is going to take time and a lot of work." Gibbs replied.

"Will you help me out?" Tony asked.

"Of course" Gibbs replied.

"Great now when do I get out of here?" Tony asked.

"Tomorrow as long as you behave." Gibbs replied.

"Behave?" Tony asked.

"Take it easy and follow doctor's orders." Gibbs replied.

"If it gets me out of here anything." Tony replied.

"They said that your heart attack was stress related." Gibbs replied.

"Good so I won't have to start eating flavorless trash." Tony replied.

"Unless the doctor says." Gibbs reminded.

"Fine" Tony sighed.

"Now did something happen to you today?" Gibbs asked.

"I went to Best Buy and this girl looked just like Tali." Tony replied.

"Mmmm" Gibbs mumbled.

"The thing is she was hit by a car just before Tali died. It fit the description of the truck that killed Tali to T. The driver got out, looked at her, and then left." Tony explained.

"Did they get the description of the driver?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes and here's the thing. The driver looked just like Sacks." Tony replied.

"Ron Sacks?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah" Tony replied.

"Shit" Gibbs cursed.

"What?" Tony asked.

"They found Sacks' finger prints all over the gun that shot Jimmy, they were on the door handle too, and the security footage fits his description." Gibbs explained.

"Why would Sacks do that?" Tony asked.

"That is what we have to figure out." Gibbs replied.

* * *

 **A/N: Sacks has been found out! New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	27. Losing Hope

Tony was released to Gibbs' care the following afternoon. Tony did well for most of the night but his heart-rate greatly increased after Gibbs left, when visitors hours ended. When it got to the point that they were considering taking Tony up to the ICU. Gibbs made it clear that he would be staying with his boy. That it would be a hell of a lot better for everybody if they turned their backs on policy rather than putting Tony in Intensive Care. It wasn't long before Tony relaxed and the next morning the doctors deemed him to be well enough to return home. With some conditions and added precautions. He was to take it easy and was barred from strenuous activity until his follow up exam in seven days. He was also sent home with sedatives and a modified prescription for anti depressants.

"You get some sleep. I will watch Jonah." Gibbs replied.

"I just want to see my boy." Tony replied.

"Alright but you need your rest so I want to take him at least for a little while." Gibbs insisted.

"Deal" Tony replied.

* * *

Tony cradled his son in his arms. He was beyond relieved just to be home with Jonah and Gibbs, but his relief came with a powerful sense of fear. Knowing that Tali really was a target, knowing that Sacks was still out there, that he had shot Jimmy. The fear nearly paralyzed Tony. If Tali had been taken out, than who's to say that Jonah was not next? Could he really cope with the loss of both of his children? He looked down into his son's blue eyes that held a greenish tint. From the looks of it they would be the same color Tali's had been. Jonah cooed and snuggled up close to his father.

"I love you Jo and I will do anything to protect you." Tony whispered.

* * *

Ziva found herself alone in her dingy apartment. She was miserable in this life and hated Gibbs for choosing Tony over her. Jimmy was having another bad day. Which while it wasn't near as bad as some of the others had been. It was bad enough to limit visitors. She had spoken with Breena that morning and it was becoming obvious that the young woman was losing hope. She could not imagine how difficult this must be for her. Even though she had never felt that way about anyone. She had thought she had felt that for Tony but after all of this. It was clear that it was not true love. There was a knock on her door and she drug herself over. Monique was standing on the other side.

"Monique, I didn't know you were in town." Ziva gasped.

"Got in last night. Dr. Mallard told me you were here." Monique replied.

"Has he told anyone else where I am?" Ziva asked.

"No, he also said not to bring up NCIS. What's that about? Last I heard you guys were getting along great. I seriously thought you were going to marry that Tony." Monique explained.

"Monique I had a daughter." Ziva confessed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Monique asked.

"I spent my daughter's life in a coma. By the time I woke up she was dead. She was two." Ziva explained.

"Why were you in a coma?" Monique asked.

"They say that I had preeclampsia but my symptoms don't add up. I think that I may have been poisoned." Ziva explained.

"Poisoned? Do you remember your symptoms?" Monique asked.

"I felt dizzy, weak, my head ached, and I felt heavy." Ziva replied.

"Was it oral or were you injected with something?" Monique asked.

"Oral" Ziva replied.

"Can you describe the taste?" Monique asked.

"It was bitter and a little lemony." Ziva recalled.

"Were you in Israel or the United States?" Monique asked.

"Israel, with my friend Orli." Ziva replied.

"Orli from Mossad?" Monique asked.

"Yes" Ziva replied.

"It's called the Sleeper Serum. It was developed by Mossad to combat extremists. It will put you into a coma but not kill you. It is hard to detect because lemon is commonly used in Middle Eastern dishes. What I don't understand is why you remained unconscious for so long." Monique explained.

"I remember waking up a few times. It was always for a long time too, but each time the doctor would give me an IV and I would go back out." Ziva explained.

"The IV's were poisoned. Ziva we have to get back to Israel and figure this out." Monique insisted.

"But they are Mossad and I am strained from NCIS." Ziva reminded.

"Well make good with them. Because you deserve justice!" Monique cried.

"Monique! Tony let my daughter die!" Ziva cried.

"What do you mean?" Monique asked.

"He was standing there like an idiot when she was hit and killed. Why couldn't he have moved her up to the house?" Ziva questioned.

"Ziva that sounds like an accident." Monique remarked.

"Why are you taking his side?! Why does everybody take his side?!" Ziva cried.

"Why don't you try to see his side?" Monique asked.

"Because he got to hold Tali in his arms and I never did!" Ziva cried.

"Ziva how long was it between Tali dying and you waking up?" Monique asked.

"If anything one day." Ziva replied.

"Did Orli have negative feelings towards you?" Monique asked.

"Yes because of Ari." Ziva recalled.

"Ziva I hate to tell you this but I don't think that Tali's death was an accident and I really don't think that it was Tony's fault. Ziva I think that Orli went out of her way to destroy you." Monique explained.

* * *

Breena sat alone in Jimmy's hospital room. It was another bad day and by now all hope was lost. Even Ducky had lost hope. Jimmy had been critical for too long and no news had come in. The doctors were now saying that if they did not find a heart in the next eight hours it would be too late. That was seven hours ago. One more hour and Jimmy would be too far gone. She dreaded the world without her husband and the father of her children. Out of the blue the room became a frenzy of doctors and nurses. Jimmy's stats were checked and medical jargon was tossed around.

"What's going on?" Breena questioned.

"We just got a call. A brain-dead patient has been taken off of life-support and the family is donating his organs. He is a near perfect match for Jimmy. Matches like this are rare between people who are not in the same biological family." A nurse explained.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally some good news. Now if Monique can convince Ziva that Tony is not at fault for the accident. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	28. Miracle

The news about a donor heart coming in had sent the entirety of Team Gibbs flocking to the hospital. In that moment supporting Breena came before any hurt feelings. They had gathered around the waiting room and praying for some good news. Jimmy had been stable at the time of his procedure but he was still very weak. The doctors had warned Breena that it may not be successful. If it weren't such a perfect match Jimmy would have never even had the opportunity. The hope was there. Still nobody dared speak a word of relief until Jimmy was well on the road to recovery.

* * *

Monique had come to the hospital to support Ziva. They made a point of sitting with the group but took seats as far away from Tony as possible. Ziva was still struggling to cope with the prospect of being poisoned. She may have lost years of her life to a lie. The prospect was nauseating to her. Then to wake up the day after Tali died. Monique was right that wasn't a coincidence. She knew that Orli and her had their issues, but she never imagined anything like this. She couldn't help but wonder what she had done to Orli to deserve this. If this were really about Ari than why would she have not murdered Tony or had Tony been the true target?

* * *

Tony looked over his shoulder at Ziva. He was on the far left of the front row of sears and Ziva was on the far right of the back row. She made eye contact with him and then quickly looked away. He turned his head back and picked up a magazine. If he weren't so terrified for Palmer he would have left as soon as she entered the room. He hated that she blamed him for Tali's death. Even if her death had been an accident. There would have been nothing he could have done. That truck just came out of nowhere. He wondered if he would ever be able to forget that horrible scene. He had held Tali as she died in the hospital. He had cradled her in his arms and reminded her of the love that he held for her. He remembered simultaneously wishing that Ziva were alive and being grateful that she was dead. Now that he knew she was alive. He was simultaneously relieved and wishing that she were dead. As they waited for Jimmy to receive his new heart he wondered if his would ever find peace again.

* * *

Breena tried to brush off the tension in the room. She knew that Tony and Ziva both cared very deeply for her and Jimmy. She also knew that both were haunted by there own hurts. She doubted that Jimmy and her would be much better off if it had been Tori, who had died. Even with him fighting for his life she had to be honest. She looked up at the clock. Only an hour and a half had passed but to her it felt like a lifetime. She just wanted to hear news on her husband. She prayed that Jimmy would come through this well and be back home with her. It would be a long road but she didn't care. She just wanted her Jimmy back. Tori needed to grow up with her father.

"How much longer will this take?" Breena asked.

"I would say about four hours but it may be longer. So don't get too worked up if it is not right on time." Ducky explained.

"And he should be fine after this?" Breena asked.

"Well nothing is one hundred percent in the medical world. Sometimes it does not take but rest assured his doctors will exhaust every effort to save him." Ducky explained.

"If it works will he be able to live a normal and long life?" Breena asked.

"The average heart transplant only lasts about five years but Jimmy will be routinely evaluated by a cardiologist. Ideally that will make for the next transplant to be a far easier process." Ducky explained.

"Is their a limit on transplants?" Breena asked.

"In most cases it depends on how much the bodies can take." Ducky explained.

"So he will still die young?" Breena cried.

"Medical science is progressing every day and Jimmy is still young. By the time his transplant runs out there could be a more permanent cure." Ducky explained.

"I wish there is something they could do now." Breena whispered.

"Five years is average but some patients have lasted much longer." Ducky assured.

"Why would somebody shoot him?" Breena questioned.

"That is what we are trying to figure out." Ducky replied.

* * *

More time passed and the tension between Tony and Ziva had started to come to a head. It had begun with Tony standing to stretch his legs and accidentally stepping on Ziva's shoe, as he walked around the room. It grew worse when Ziva was bringing coffee to the group and accidentally spilled a piping hot cup on Tony. A nurse had rushed over and treated him before the burns became to severe but he was still furious. Monique eventually had to make a call and Gibbs had made a run for real coffee. Not the "tar" they served in the hospital. Taking with them the buffers that Tony and Ziva so desperately needed. Tony rubbed his burned arm and groaned. Ziva snapped her magazine shut and hissed.

"Could you be any louder?" Tony questioned.

"Says the man whining and crying about a little burn." Ziva remarked.

"Hey it hurts. Thanks for dumping the coffee on me!" Tony snapped.

"It was an accident!" Ziva cried.

"Yeah right" Tony scoffed.

"Oh please Tony you are so pathetic!" Ziva argued.

"Why because I am burned and sick of your crap?!" Tony bellowed.

"My crap?! My crap?! It is all you! You are full of crap!" Ziva screamed.

"Oh because Miss. Mossad can do no wrong!" Tony cried.

"Oh please you daddy's boy!" Ziva shot back.

"You know that Senior has twice abandoned me!" Tony gasped.

"I was referring to Gibbs!" Ziva hissed.

"Well at least Gibbs didn't leave me in Israel!" Tony snapped.

"Tony" Ziva gasped.

"Ziva I am so sorry." Tony apologized.

"No you are not! You are never sorry!" Ziva cried punching Tony hard in the chest.

"Hey! I just had a heart attack!" Tony cried.

"Well have a bigger one and die!" Ziva snapped.

It was not long before the rest of the team ended up joining in the argument and was subsequently kicked out of the hospital. They continued the argument in the parking lot and were so distracted by their argument they did not see Gibbs returning to the hospital.

"HEY!" Gibbs bellowed.

Only the sound of their boss snapping them to attention could pull the team from their violent argument. They snapped to attention and turned towards the stern faced Marine.

"What's going on Boss?" McGee asked.

"While you were having your idiotic argument. Jimmy came out of surgery." Gibbs explained.

"How is he?" Tony asked.

"I am proud to say that the transplant was a total success. He is in recovery at the moment and will remain in the ICU for at least five days. For the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours visitors are limited to immediate family." Gibbs explained.

* * *

 **A/N: The original ending had Jimmy dying but I soon regretted it. Since I had already uploaded the chapter I apologize for any confusion. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	29. Something's Brewing

The days following Jimmy's transplant passed by in a blur for team Gibbs. Jimmy was now out of the ICU and into a regular room. He would remain in the hospital for two weeks to a month. From there he would be moved to a rehab hospital. Overall he was recovering well but he still tired easily and was still susceptible to infection. For that reason visitations were still restricted. He was now permitted visitors from outside his family but visits were still limited in time. Visitors were also required to be checked out by a doctor and were required to wear gowns, gloves, and a mask. Jimmy's miraculous recovery did bring some peace to the team but still a dark cloud loomed in the distance. The grief was still fresh and it was almost as if a war were brewing.

* * *

Tony had officially lost his job at the school. He was hurt and angry, but not exactly surprised. He had ignored the principal's calls and blown off the meetings with the county counselor. Maybe deep down he wanted to be fired. He knew that he needed to do right by Jonah but he was still struggling with a lot of things. He was still mourning for Tali and trying to make sense of his bizarre new world. He spent most of his time with Jonah and Gibbs but would occasionally visit Jimmy in the hospital and bring food over to Breena. While he had managed to keep his meetings with the school board appointed shrink a secret from Gibbs. He was not able to even think about blowing off his appointments with Dr. Kate's Sister. Gibbs drove him too and from each appointment and would go as far as walking him into the office building and not budging from the waiting room until Rachel came and led him back to her office. That was how it had gone today. He leaned back on the couch and nervously tapped his fingers on the side.

"How is Jimmy doing?" Rachel asked.

"He's doing well. Breena is doing a good job at keeping him from being depressed. She did say that he would be seeing you once the restrictions have been redacted." Tony explained.

"I can't go into detail but it is common procedure." Rachel replied.

"I'm glad he's doing OK. Breena was a mess when it wasn't looking good." Tony replied.

"I was praying very hard for him and all of you." Rachel replied.

"Thank you" Tony replied.

"It is no trouble but we need to get back on track." Rachel replied.

"Tali" Tony sighed.

"How are you doing today?" Rachel asked.

"I got a call from the school today. I have been let go." Tony replied.

"Tony that's wrongful termination." Rachel remarked.

"Not so much. I have been ignoring calls and not going to my meetings with the county appointed shrink." Tony explained.

"Tony" Rachel warned.

"Maybe I don't want to go back!" Tony cried.

"Well you have to get back into the workforce eventually. Do you have any idea what you want to do? Do you want to return to NCIS?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know" Tony mumbled.

"Well think about it. I am sure that Gibbs will support you as long as you need but you need some normalcy. For yourself and for Jonah." Rachel explained.

"I don't things will ever be normal again." Tony admitted.

"Maybe not the normal you knew before Tali died but you will find a new normal. Trust me. I felt the same way after Kate died but just like you in found normalcy." Rachel explained.

"I had the nightmare again." Tony confessed.

"About Tali's death?" Rachel questioned.

"Yes" Tony replied.

"How long did it take you to calm down this time?" Rachel asked.

"Two hours" Tony replied.

"How long did it take last time? When was the last time?" Rachel asked.

"Most of the day and it was about a week ago." Tony replied.

"That is an improvement. When we first started meeting it was nightly and you never quite came down from it." Rachel explained.

"I saw his face." Tony replied.

"The driver?" Rachel asked.

"Yes and it was Sacks." Tony replied.

"Is he still on the lam?" Rachel asked.

"Unfortunately" Tony sighed.

"He will be caught and brought to justice soon." Rachel assured.

"Your mouth to God's ears." Tony replied.

"Now how are things with Ziva? Have you spoken since the incident?" Rachel asked.

"She is threatening a restraining order." Tony replied.

"Maybe it is time for couple's counseling." Rachel commented.

"Which part of restraining order do you not understand?" Tony demanded.

"You need to work things out for Tali's memory." Rachel insisted.

"She hates my guts!" Tony cried.

"Yes but do you hate her?" Rachel questioned.

"No" Tony confessed, barely above a whisperer.

* * *

Ziva was desperate to get out of the apartment. Monique had gone back to wherever she was now and Ducky was taking a shift baby sitting Victoria. She almost called Abby but knew that the perky Forensic Scientist would just try to get her to speak with Tony. Ditto for McGee. She didn't know Bishop that well but figured that she would take Tony's side. Vance was bound to be the same. She wished that they would just leave her alone. She did not love Tony anymore. She hated him. He was a trained agent. He could have done something. He should have done something. She refused to believe that her daughter's death was unpreventable. Maybe her coma was a planned and deliberate poisoning but Tali's death was just an accident. An accident at the hands of her irresponsible father. Oh how she hated him. In a fit of rage she kicked over a box and the contents spilled out over the floor. She picked up the contents it was a scrapbook of Tali's far too short life. On one page was the pregnancy test and a picture of the first ultrasound. There was a printed out copy of the text she had sent to Tony. On the very first page was the photograph of Tony and her in Paris. He looked so happy and so did she. Also in the box was a letter. It was addressed to the PO box she had used when she first came to Israel and was weary of giving her true address. It was from Tony and it was mailed out while she lay in her coma.

" _Dear Ziva,_

 _I am not sure why I am writing this. Abby says it will help me deal with closure. God I wish that you were here. Tali is so perfect. I wish that we could enjoy her together. I just left Israel and am now in Paris with my dad and our girl. Dad is about the same. He was great with Tali at first but I fear he is slipping back into his old self. Well you know what they say about an old dog. Enough about my daddy issues. I just wanted to say that I love you and that I miss you. We all do but especially Tali. Oh Z if ii had known I would have saved you. I would die a thousand deaths for you. This is so pointless. I mean you are dead. You are dead and burned into ash on the grounds of your farmhouse. This is the mother of all cliche's but what is heaven like? Is it the white and gold cloudy utopia they describe in Sunday school or is it different. God, this is so stupid. No disrespect to the G man but it's not like you can read this. You are dead. This letter is sitting in a PO box unless it was destroyed at the post office. God Ziva I miss you. You brought me joy and optimism. Sweet Tali is doing that now but I need my woman and she needs her Ima. I love Tali and have no idea what I would do if I lost her. Here's another cliche. I love you more than anything. Rest in Peace my darling Ninja Angel and know that I will see you again someday. I am working to be a better man to ensure that. Because Lord knows I have fucked up a lot and need a miracle of redemption. Enough ranting a cliches. I love you and always will._

 _Love Forever Anthony, D. DiNozzo, Jr._

* * *

Ziva clutched the letter to her chest and fell to the floor. Tony had been a mess without her. Tali was all that had kept him going and in an instant she was ripped away. Leaving him void of everything he loved. Tali was dead, Senior was back to his old tricks, and he thought that she was dead. When she was alive. She had become a stone wall and closed herself off to him. He was hurting as much as she was if not more and that was why everybody wanted to work it out. Not so they could get some sappy, romantic, storybook ending, but so Tony could finally find peace. Through all the terrible things she had done. Tony had never wavered in his love for her. One tragedy that she knew wasn't even his fault and she hated him. She did still love him but she did not deserve him. She did not deserve Tali either. She grabbed her gun and held it to her head. She placed her finger on the trigger and gently began to push back.

* * *

It was a busy afternoon and people were rushing by on the street outside of Ziva's apartment complex. Suddenly the sounds of kids laughing, adults arguing, cars speeding by, and dogs barking was interrupted by a scream and a gunshot.

* * *

 **A/N: Was Ziva successful or did somebody knock the gun out of her hand just in time? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	30. Saved Just In Time

Nervousness surged through Tony's body like a missile. The apartment of Ziva David was the last place he wanted to be at the moment, but Dr. Cranston had insisted. Rachel was exactly like Kate in that sense. She had this magical way of getting what she wanted from only a look. Ziva was like that too and Tali had been as well. In fact the only man Tony could think of with that gift was Gibbs.

"Delilah's got wheelchair aerobics at five. You best get this over with." Gibbs stated.

"What if she doesn't want to patch things up?" Tony asked.

"You two almost got banned from the hospital for that little spat. You need to learn to be civil to each for both of your sakes, for Tali's memory." Gibbs explained.

"She said she hated me boss." Tony commented.

"She's hurting just as much as you are. Now come on let's go inside." Gibbs insisted.

* * *

Tony knew that it was useless to try and fight Gibbs. Besides the sooner he got this over with. The sooner he could be back with Jonah. He had no regrets in telling Rachel that he still loved Ziva. Because he still did. He had loved her with his entire heart and he did want to at least try to mend things with her. He just wished that Rachel had given him a little more time to compose himself and to give Ziva a little more time to heal. They walked up the stairs and Tony started down the hallway. He turned back. Gibbs gave him a nod and signaled for him to go on. Taking a deep breath he made his way to Ziva's unit. He knocked on the door but received no answer. From inside he heard the soft crying of his beloved ninja. He twisted at the knob and was relieved to find that the door was unlocked. He stepped into the apartment, just in time to see Ziva with a gun pressed to her temple. Running on adrenaline he charged towards Ziva and knocked the gun from her hands. The weapon fired and a bullet lodged itself into a wall. That was likely an eviction and hefty bill for Ziva but he would foot the expenses. It was a small price to pay to know that the woman he loved was still alive.

"Ziva" Tony gasped.

* * *

Soon after she began to pull the trigger Ziva felt a rush of air. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought that this was just what happened when you died. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see her apartment. Surely heaven was not her crappy apartment. Who was she kidding. This was probably hell. It did not register that she was in fact alive until she saw Tony's face and felt him pull her into a tight hug. He gently stoked her hair and softly whispered "I love you" into her ear.

"Oh Tony I am so sorry." Ziva sobbed.

"It's OK. You are OK. I am just glad I got here when I did." Tony whispered.

"I found the note you wrote when you thought that I was gone." Ziva explained.

"No Ziva I got here just in time." Tony replied.

"Why could you save me but not Tali? That's not how it should be. It should have been me who died and Tali who was saved." Ziva explained.

"Neither of you should have died." Tony replied.

"I never really hated you. It's just when I woke up to news that Tali was gone. Things only got more complicated from there." Ziva explained.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"I think that I was poisoned and that was somehow connected to everything with Tali." Ziva confessed.

"The prime suspect is Slacks but if he's CIA now he could have been in Israel." Tony commented.

"I was with Orli that day. She always hated me." Ziva replied.

"Could they have been working together?" Tony asked.

"How would they have met?" Ziva asked.

"Mossad and CIA have teamed up before." Tony commented.

"Yes but Slacks only joined the CIA after that thing with Fornell." Ziva explained.

"That would have still given a few months." Tony replied.

"Yes but why?" Ziva asked.

* * *

The plane touched down in Tel Aviv and passengers began to file off and into the air-port. Flight attendants bid farewell to the passengers and wished them well on their trips. The last passenger off the plane was a black male in his forties. He nervously clutched his bag as he disboarded the plane. The stewardess extended her hands but the man quickly drew back.

"I have this thing about hand shaking." The man explained.

"No trouble my brother is the same way." The Stewardess replied.

* * *

Orli sat in her car outside the airport and waited. At long last she saw him rolling his suitcase towards her car. He first tossed his luggage into the backseat, then climbed into the passenger side. She studied him as he fastened his seat-belt and closed the door behind him.

"Palmer got a transplant. He's recovering well and they are going to take his statement tomorrow. If he remembers anything I am done for." Sacks explained.

"Rats shouldn't get hearts." Orli scoffed.

"My thoughts exactly." Sacks agreed.

"Any other developments?" Orli asked.

"Get this, DiNozzo had a baby with that chick Zoe. Remember her she's the one I met at the Christmas party when my family flew out to Nevada for the holiday. Said I had to work." Sacks explained.

"She the freak who suggested we make it a threesome?" Orli asked.

"No that was Miranda. Zoe is the one who Tony got partnered with after my brother died." Sacks explained.

"Do you want to take her down too?" Orli asked.

"Him actually Jonah and yeah I do." Sacks replied.

"Any plans?" Orli asked.

"That's what I need your brain for." Sacks replied.

"Well lets get some sleep and I will help ya out after that." Orli explained, seductively rubbing Sacks' knee.

* * *

With that Orli pulled away from the airport and made her way towards where the farm house had once stood. The affair had started six years ago when he was on assignment in Israel but had really kicked up when they discovered their hatred for Ziva and Tony. They had worked together to get Ziva into her coma and carefully plotted Tali's death. Waiting until the moment they knew it would hit hardest. Ron knew his marriage would never last this ordeal but he was far from devastated. They had been on the outs since the birth of their second child. If he could just avoid persecution. Than he could finally rightfully be with Orli. They were already talking about wedding and honeymoon plans. Their main goal was to dance on the grave of Tali David-DiNozzo. As they headed down the road the studied each other like horny teenagers. Completely unaware that they were being followed. Both forgetting that the last thing you should ever do was piss off or bring harm to a federal ages. They had done both and now the FBI was on the brink of taking them down.

* * *

 **A/N: At least Orli and Sacks are on the way down. Will Tony and Ziva be able to work things out? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	31. The Right Direction

Tony and Ziva clung to each other, in Tony's room at Gibbs' house. Three days had passed since Ziva's suicide attempt and the couple's decision to try and work things out. Ever since the attempt Gibbs had insisted that Ziva stay with them. He had given her his room and moved himself down to the living room. Ziva was now in private therapy and also attending couple's counseling with Tony. Gibbs had found them a support group for bereaved parents and tonight was their first meeting.

"Do you still want to go tonight?" Tony asked.

"Gibbs said that we had no choice." Ziva replied.

"Right" Tony breathed.

"I don't want to tell them that Tali was murdered. I want to say that it was an accident." Ziva stated.

"Why?" Tony asked.

"People always judge parents of murdered children. They always say that they could have prevented it or that they were mixed up with the wrong people." Ziva explained.

"Ziva we need to tell the whole truth or they cannot truly help us." Tony commented.

"Or they will refuse to help us." Ziva retorted.

"They can't do that." Tony argued.

"They can and will!" Ziva snapped.

"Well you were awfully judgey of me! So maybe you deserve it!" Tony shot back, instantly regretting his words.

"I thought you cared! I thought you wanted to work things out!" Ziva cried, standing and storming out of the room.

* * *

Tony was relieved that Ziva wanted to work things out. He also knew that it would not happen overnight and the incident that had just taken place proved that. He also knew that things between him and Ziva would never be the same. That even if they worked everything out, Tali's death would always be on the back of their minds, and they could never go back to before. He knew that it could be months or even years before they could even call themselves friends again. Their romance may be dead and gone, but for Tali's sake and memory. They had to at least get along. Knowing this gave him some comfort in the wake of his outburst but still he carried a great deal of guilt.

"Tony it's time to go." Gibbs called.

"Be right there. I just have to get Jonah ready." Tony replied.

"Ziver ready?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know." Tony replied.

"I thought she was in here with you." Gibbs remarked.

"She was but then we had a fight. Well I did something stupid and she left." Tony explained.

"What did you do?" Gibbs asked.

"She was worried about telling people that Tali was murdered. I go angry and reminded her of how she had treated me." Tony explained.

"That doesn't sound that bad." Gibbs commented.

"I also told her that she deserved to be judged." Tony admitted.

"Oh boy" Gibbs sighed.

"What do I do? I mean did I undo everything?" Tony asked.

"Yes but that is how it is for people in your situation. One step forward and then twenty back. It feels like nothing will ever be good again but then you wake up one day and it is better. You can't have perfect again and you won't ever be the same but you learn to live. Because well you have to. As hard as it is. You have to. Because there will always be people who need you." Gibbs explained.

"What about me and Ziva? Do you think we will be able to be a couple again?" Tony asked.

"Time will tell. I know that in most cases it does not work out but you two are at least heading in the right direction." Gibbs explained.

"Until I screwed up so badly." Tony sighed.

"Like I said. One step forward and about twenty back but you will get there." Gibbs assured.

* * *

Ziva looked nervously around the room. She could feel the stares of the other parents. Tony had gone to drop Jonah off in the nursery and she was alone in the meeting room. She was dreading having to tell her story. She knew that they would judge her on Tali's death. They would say that it was her fault for knowing the wrong people. Well yes she did know Sacks and she knew that he hated Tony. She just never imagined that it would come down to this. It wasn't like they were bitter rivals and Sacks had previously really had it out for Tony. Their most famous incident was when Tony was framed for murder and boy things sure looked bad then. Not that Sacks was in the right but it's not like Sacks was acting on a flimsy claim. Besides she had thought that they were tolerating each other now. She had seen them talking at the last birthday party of Tobias' that she had attended. Tony entered the room and took a seat beside hers. The leader of the group stood and closed the doors behind him.

"Are Kevin and Julie coming?" The leader asked.

"No Kevin's uncle passed away last night. They are out in Bakersfield." A man answered.

"I will send them my condolences. Now are we ready to start. I see we have a new couple. Joining us tonight. Would you like to introduce yourselves? I am Jeff Taylor." Jeff observed.

"We are separated but working on it. I am Tony DiNozzo." Tony introduced.

"And I am Ziva David." Ziva added.

"Now you will have to talk about your child. Give as much detail as you feel comfortable with but we like to at least know the gender and age of death." Jeff questioned.

"Our daughter's name was Tali and she was two years old when she died." Tony started.

"She was murdered." Ziva replied.

"I am so sorry."Jeff replied.

"That is all we can say now but just know that we loved her very much." Tony explained.

* * *

 **A/N: More steps in the right direction. Fornell makes an appearance in the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	32. Not Quite Enough

The support group ended up being extremely helpful to both Tony and Ziva. They returned to Gibbs' house feeling much better than they had when they left. Upon returning home Tony went into his room to try to get Jonah to sleep, and Ziva went downstairs to watch the news with Gibbs. Neither met much judgment from the group. One couple even shared that they had lost their son to Shaken Baby Syndrome and had the same fears when they first joined. It was a comfort to both that there was an outlet to cope with their loss and others who felt their pain. They could always count on Gibbs but he had no idea about keeping the relationship together. He had lost Shannon at the same time as Kelly and thus had no idea how to keep a bereaved marriage alive.

* * *

Jonah's cries pulled Tony from his sleep. He got out of bed and made his way over to the crib. He grabbed the child out of the bed and went about the standard routine. When it became obvious that the infant was just crying for the sake of crying. He placed him back into his crib and made his way back to the bed. Jonah continued to cry until the room was filled with a pungent odor. Groaning Tony got out of bed and grabbed a fresh diaper, dreading what he was about to find. Moments like this made him relieved that Tali was older and fairly easy to potty train. As he tossed the old diaper in the trash he thought back to when a thing he saw online about people who potty trained their son as soon as he could walk. It was one of those things that could have been a hoax made in hopes of going viral, but in this moment he would not mind that one bit.

"Your lucky your cute." Tony informed Jonah as he placed the infant in his crib.

"It smells like the men's room after the time, you and McGee were undercover as judges in that chili cook-off." Ziva groaned from the doorway.

"Why were you in the men's room?" Tony questioned.

"They had to evacuated the squad room. They thought that somebody had poisoned the air and while they were right it was hardly a planned threat." Ziva reminded.

"We caught the killer!" Tony retorted.

"Yes but at what cost?" Ziva smirked.

"Watch it Missy. I am going back to work next week and it will be up to you to keep Jonah." Tony reminded.

"Just don't feed him. Whatever that was." Ziva warned.

"Formula it was just formula. According to the doctor he is fine." Tony replied.

"At least you won't ever have to pay for a DNA test." Ziva laughed.

"My feces smells like sunshine and unicorns!" Tony screamed.

"I'm afraid to ask." Gibbs remarked as he made his way towards the shower.

* * *

Tobias Fornell watched the pair from his rented truck. They were doing construction in the empty lot across from where the farmhouse had once stood and his truck blended in well with the vehicles that the worker drove. The barn was still intact and that was where those perverts had been groping each other like eighth graders who had just split a wine cooler behind the gym. The sight was enough to make him sick. Ron was still married and Orli whether or not Orli knew that it was still disgusting. He wanted to arrest the pair right then and there. Unfortunately adultery was not exactly a crime. What was a crime was the murder of an innocent child, murder of a federal agent, and conspiring to murder another child. He almost had enough proof that all these allegations were true. He just needed one of them to say the words to him. Once the couple was done with foreplay he radioed to his undercover agent to make the first move. He watched as the young agent made her way across the street and approached the couple who sat outside of the barn. He flipped on the radio and waited. Making it look like he was studying a blueprint. You could never be too careful with these things.

"Hello" The young agent greeted.

"This is a private property. May we help you?" Orli questioned.

"You may actually. Uh my grandfather lived on the farm up the lane and my family would visit in the summers. During my youth I became friends with a pair of sisters named Ziva and Tali David. We stopped coming after my grandfather died when I was twelve and I was just wondering if you knew anything about the family." Georgia spoke.

"I was close to Ziva and don't remember seeing you in the group." Orli commented.

"Oh well we only really hung out a few times but it was memorable." Georgia who would be known as Denise explained.

"I don't know there was that pudgy Irish girl in a few pictures." Ron recalled.

"Oh yeah I remember now but you don't look anything like her." Orli remembered.

"Well I lost most of the weight in high school and in college I was in an accident that required reconstruction surgery." Georgia explained.

"I am sorry to hear that. What's your name? I have better name recall anyway." Orli asked.

"Denise Cooper" Denise replied.

"Oh yeah Denise! I remember you! Didn't your brother have some kind of medical problem that last summer you came?" Orli asked.

"He had a cyst on his eye and we thought it was cancer. He lost his sight but they were able to save the eye." Denise explained.

"That is good to hear." Orli replied.

"So Ziva and Tali whatever happened to them?" Georgia asked.

"Tali was killed about six years after you last came and Ziva is living in America now. She had an accident and spent two years in a coma." Orli explained

"What happened?" Georgia asked.

"preeclampsia but she wouldn't terminate." Orli replied.

"That's weird my sister had preeclampsia and they had no choice but to terminate." Georgia remarked.

"Look she had preeclampsia! OK! It was just preeclampsia!" Orli snapped.

"Are you alright Orli?" Georgia asked.

"We were close." Orli lied.

"What happened to the baby?" Georgia asked.

"She died in an accident this summer." Orli replied.

"That is too bad." Georgia replied.

"We need to get back to my place. Georgia DeMico." Orli scoffed, making direct eye contact with the found out woman.

* * *

 **A/N: Will Fornell ever have enough proof to make the arrest? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	33. Faking Normal

Returning to work was a surreal experience for Tony. He was not ready to leave behind his son and he was apprehensive about going back to reality. The last time he had worked was the day that Tali had died. He had told his students he would see them the next day, made a lesson plan, and gone to get his baby girl from daycare. Then everything went to hell. Part of him feared that if he went back to work. Something would happen to Jonah. He knew that sounded totally irrational. Seriously, how many days had he gone to work and nothing happened to Tali? It was just that one day that had shattered everything he had believed in and loved. He had Jonah now but that did not take away from the grief of losing Tali. He knew from Gibbs that nothing would. He also knew from Gibbs, that he had to get back to reality eventually. Whether he liked it or not.

"You ready for your first day?" Gibbs asked.

"As I'll ever be." Tony replied.

"You alright? You seem upset?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know if I am ready for this." Tony replied.

"Do you want me to call Leon and tell him we can't make it?" Gibbs asked.

"No I have to go back. I have to get back to some form of normal." Tony replied.

"Are you sure?" Gibbs asked.

"You said I have to get back to normal. As soon as possible." Tony replied.

"Not if you aren't ready." Gibbs reminded.

"Look I'm ready! And it would be my fault if Jonah dies anyway!" Tony snapped.

"Tony?" Gibbs questioned.

"I am worried. That if I go back to work. I mean my last day of work Tali was killed. I know it is different but still the fear is there." Tony explained.

"You are always going to have that fear. Every time the phone rings or Jonah comes home just a minute late. When you are sleeping and you don't hear him breathing on the baby monitor or he doesn't wake up when he is supposed to. Every boo-boo or illness will cause panic. You will think that this is the thing that does him in. Yes it is simple but maybe too simple. Maybe the symptoms are too close to the cancer kid you saw on the news. The fear never goes away but you learn to live with it. You learn to take a deep breath and remember that everything is not the end of the world." Gibbs explained.

"How can you know? You did not have anymore kids after Kelly." Tony reminded.

"My seed did not produce anymore children but after Kelly died. I went on to have six children. Even if I did lose one of them and think I had lost another." Gibbs explained.

"So I'll be OK and Jonah will be OK?" Tony questioned.

"Tomorrow is promised to no one, but as long as I am here. I will see to it that you are OK in your head and that Jonah is too." Gibbs vowed.

"Thanks dad" Tony replied.

"Anytime son, anytime." Gibbs replied, patting his boy on the shoulder.

* * *

After being terminated by the school district. Tony would be returning to his old stomping grounds, NCIS. Not as a field agent but in a whole new position. He would be training probationary agents in FLETC. Part of him wanted to go back to Team Gibbs and the excitement of the field. The other part knew that was the wrong position for a single father. If he couldn't go back to field work, this was the next best thing. Training would allow him to work far more standardized hours and had far less danger attached to it. Any job within law enforcement had it's risks but the danger was not day to day, minute to minute. As it had been when he worked as a field agent.

"Good luck on your first day." Ziva said handing Tony a cup of coffee.

"Thanks" Tony replied.

"Jonah and I may stop by this afternoon." Ziva replied.

"Are you sure you don't mind looking after him?" Tony asked.

"It's no trouble at all. He is a sweet little fella and it is fun to have a baby." Ziva replied.

"It is" Tony agreed.

"He isn't mine but sometimes I pretend. Like things didn't go so wrong and we could be the family we should have been." Ziva explained.

"I do the same." Tony confessed.

* * *

Tony had made it clear that he did not want a big fuss made. He was coming back to work but there was hardly anything to celebrate. His daughter was dead but he had been deemed sane enough to train a bunch of probies. It was hardly worth interrupting the work day for refreshments and pats on the back. He just wanted to pretend like he was back from vacation or after a long weekend. He just wanted normalcy. Still he feigned excitement. When he went to drop his lunch off and grab a cup of coffee from the break-room. Only to find Abby, McGee, Ducky, Vance, Gibbs, and a few others gathered around a cake and "Welcome Back!" banner. He really couldn't be pissed when Breena wheeled a still recovering Jimmy into the room. He smiled through being serenaded with "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow", the cards, and pats on the back. He ate a piece of cake and let Abby suffocate him with a million hugs. He even found the courage to smile. Still he struggled to hide his relief. When Vance declared it was time to get back to work. Before long the banner was taken down, plates were tossed in the trash, and the cake was set aside on the counter. Everybody went back to their stations. Leaving Tony and Jimmy alone in the break-room Breena had gone off to remind the sitter about Tori's ear medicine or something. Jimmy had shifted from his wheelchair to one of the chairs at the table. It disturbed Tony a little to see how tired his friend was. He knew the road to recovery was long but he still felt as if Jimmy should better off by now. There was fear that his friend was sicker than he let on or that his body was not accepting the new heart as it should. One thing was for sure. Tony could not take another major loss right now.

"You need to lie down? I can take you to Abby's lab." Tony offered.

"Nah I am good." Jimmy assured.

"How is everything? I mean is your body good?" Tony asked.

"So far so good. Rehab is kicking my ass and Breena is giving Tori more freedom than she is me, but I am good." Jimmy explained.

"Jimmy, you almost died." Tony reminded.

"I know. I am reminded every time I take pills or look in the mirror." Jimmy groaned.

"You just want your old life back. Don't you?" Tony asked.

"More than anything." Jimmy replied.

"Same here." Tony agreed, relieved to finally have somebody who understood how he felt. Who was feeling exactly as he was at that very moment. Gibbs was good but Gibbs by now had accepted that he had lost his old life and had begun anew. For Tony and Jimmy the changes were still fresh. Painfully fresh.

* * *

 **A/N: Even though their changes are very different, Tony and Jimmy have found a new understanding. An understanding that will benefit both in the coming chapters. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	34. Talking It Out

Needless to say Tony felt much better after his talk with Jimmy. The commodity was nice and it was even better to know that Jimmy really was recovering well. For the longest time Tony was afraid to ask after his friend. Until today he hadn't had much contact with the outside world. Mainly going by what he saw on Facebook and what he heard from Gibbs. Gibbs didn't know much and from the way Breena was talking on Facebook, it sounded like Jimmy was in bad shape. He was still extremely fragile but he was far from critical or nearing the end. Maybe he was misinterpreting Breena's posts but maybe he wasn't.

"You ready?" Gibbs asked, stepping into Tony's office.

"Yeah just let me print this out." Tony replied.

"You good? The party was too much wasn't it? I tried to tell Abby but you know." Gibbs explained.

"Once she gets an idea of her head it won't get out." Tony finished.

"Exactly, so you alright?" Gibbs asked.

"Fine" Tony replied.

"Alright just don't overdo." Gibbs replied.

"Hey boss?" Tony asked.

"Yeah?" Gibbs asked.

"Does Breena seem a little off to you?" Tony asked.

"What do you mean?" Gibbs asked.

"The way she is with Jimmy." Tony replied.

"What do you mean?" Gibbs repeated.

"I know you don't do social media but the way Breena is talking on Facebook. It sounded like Jimmy was dying. Then today she made him stay in a wheelchair and she would not leave him alone. It took a lot just to leave him with me, for a few minutes." Tony explained.

"She did come very close to losing him a few weeks ago." Gibbs reminded.

"I know but that makes it more worrisome. I mean is she having some sort of PTSD?" Tony asked.

"Hmm, well that is possible but I am no shrink. Talk to Ducky or Rachel." Gibbs replied.

"Yeah, I'll uh I'll be sure to do that." Tony replied.

"Good for you for noticing." Gibbs commended.

"I've become a bit of an expert lately." Tony laughed.

"I bet, now are you ready to go?" Gibbs asked.

"Yep" Tony replied, powering down his computer.

"Great I am starving." Gibbs replied.

* * *

Jonah was fast asleep in Ziva's arms. Sometimes she wished that he were her son. That she had stayed in America and with Tony. That they had gotten married and become a family. That she was awake for Tali's birth and they had decided to have another a few years later. She even loved the name, Jonah it was so strong yet beautiful. Just like Tony. It was hard for her to be so angry with him. Even after everything, she still loved him. She wanted to try again with their relationship and maybe go on to have more children. If she hadn't really had preeclampsia, than maybe she could go on to have more children. Another boy and another girl, just like she had always wanted Rivkah Elizabeth and Jackson Daniel. Those were the names she liked at the moment. Of course it probably didn't matter. Tony was still pissed and she didn't know if he wanted more children. He had Jonah but he was already part of the equation when Tali was killed.

"Was he good for you?" Tony asked, entering the room.

"He was a perfect angel." Ziva replied.

"That is what I like to hear." Tony replied.

"Hey Tony, can I ask you something?" Ziva asked.

"You already did." Tony joked.

"I am being serious, Tony." Ziva laughed.

"Shoot" Tony replied.

"Have you ever thought about having more children?" Ziva asked.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"I think it is pretty obvious." Ziva replied.

"Well if I am being perfectly honest. I have thought about it. Tali was asking for a little sister before she died. She knew about Jonah but you know how girls that age are." Tony explained.

"So we could have more down the road?" Ziva asked.

"I guess that we could. Why do you ask?" Tony questioned.

"Just thinking out loud." Ziva replied.

"Do you want more children?" Tony asked.

"I don't know. I always wanted two or three. A boy and a girl, or two girls and a boy, but I would be alright with two boys and a girl. Three boys. I don't know. I just want more. I don't want to replace Tali but I want to be there for at least one of my children's lives." Ziva explained.

"We do make beautiful babies." Tony remarked.

"And we could always do IVF." Ziva replied.

"We could" Tony agreed.

"I mean I am not rushing you into anything. Just thinking out loud really." Ziva explained.

"Yeah uh me... me too." Tony replied.

* * *

For once the Palmer's house was silent. Tori was heading towards two and getting into the tantrum stage. When she wasn't having a fit, Breena was freaking out about something. He adored his wife. He just wished that she would take it easy. Ever since he got out of the hospital. Everything was stressful and challenging for her. She was acting more like a paranoid mother than his wife. Just getting her to allow him, to go to Tony's party had taken a huge fight. Finally he ended up agreeing to go in a wheelchair and tell her how he felt every ten minutes. That was not at all embarrassing. His talk with Tony was the only normalcy he'd had in weeks. Tony was the only one who understood him. They both wanted the same thing. To have their old lives back or at the very least feel normal again. He thought back to the last thing Tony had said to him. Before they parted ways for the day. Tony to begin his first day of work and himself to go back to rehabilitation. He would never get his life back. If he did not speak up and tell Breena how he felt.

"I am going to my book club but my dad is coming to sit with you. Are you doing OK or should I say that I can't make it?" Breena asked.

"Actually Breena that is what I want to talk to you about." Jimmy replied.

"What's wrong? Do I need to call 911?" Breena asked.

"No I am fine but Breena I am not two years old and Dr. Jones said that I could be on my own now. As long as I kept my phone close and called for help if anything felt off." Jimmy explained.

"I almost lost you. I don't know what I would do if you took a bad turn and I couldn't get home in time." Breena explained.

"Breena, I will be fine. I know you are scared but I am going to be fine." Jimmy assured.

"I had never been more terrified in my life." Breena admitted.

"I was scared too." Jimmy confessed.

"You are my everything, Jimmy. I would be lost without you. We were so close to losing everything. I am just so afraid." Breena explained.

"I was scared too but Breena we have to move on. We can't live in fear for the rest of our lives. That's just unhealthy." Jimmy explained.

"I know but I can't do this alone. I can't go through losing you and raising two children on my own. Even if I could. You are my everything." Breena explained.

"You won't and even if you do. I will never totally leave you. I will always be there for my wife and babies." Jimmy assured.

"I still want my dad to stay with you. Just because I worry about leaving Tori alone with you. If something went wrong. But I guess you are right. You deserve more freedom and as long as you follow medical orders. I am willing to loosen up a bit." Breena explained.

"Deal" Jimmy replied.

* * *

 **A/N: Everybody is talking, that is a step in the right direction. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	35. Support System

It wasn't easy for Tony and Ziva to live under the same roof, but they were learning to make it work. Because at the end of the day, Gibbs was right. They had to learn to co-exist. Even if Tali's memory was not at play. They still had friends and common and friends who just wanted them to get a long. Lucky for both Tony and Ziva. These friends, especially Gibbs were more than willing to guide them through this challenging time. The support group was a great help as well. While there were a few parents in attendance who had separated from their spouse and refused to even acknowledge them. Most were either working on their marriage or had separated but were working to remain close. Tony and Ziva were never married and weren't sure where they fell on that spectrum. Were they over and done with, but trying to work it out, or were they slowly working back towards being a couple. The question lingered ahead of them like a dark cloud, but Gibbs insisted they not worry about it. At least not right now. Right now they needed to focus on their grief. The pain would never go away but right now it was at it's worst. Tali had only been gone a couple of months and Ziva had been back even less time than that.

"Don't forget you have support group tonight." Gibbs reminded taking a seat at the table.

"We know" Ziva replied.

"Actually the church call us. They had a bust pipe last night and are holding all activities in the old building and they don't have a nursery. Would you mind keeping Jonah?" Tony asked.

"Aw that is no trouble at all." Gibbs replied.

"Thanks" Tony replied.

* * *

Tony and Ziva took seats side by side in the crowded meeting room. It was a tight fit but everybody in the room was relieved the meeting was still taking place. These parents were all deep in mourning and weeks without the support group were trying. The door opened and Jamie and Diane entered. Jamie was waddling and had a pained look on her face. Of course a woman who was two weeks late on a twin pregnancy was bound to be uncomfortable. Jamie and Diane had been in the support group for two years now. Diane had carried the couple's first three children. Their youngest was ten when Julie decided that she wanted to carry one. They had gotten pregnant on the second try but something went wrong and their son was stillborn. The couple had decided against carrying more children. Recently they had this strong urge to give it one more try but they did not have the funds. The group had raised money for one IVF treatment and well it was meant to be. Jamie ended pregnant with a set of twins.

"How are you guys?" Jeff asked.

"We are good but we cannot stay long." Diane replied.

"We are heading to the hospital. I am in labor. We still have a while but I wanted to pop in and share the good news." Julie explained.

"Congratulations" Jeff replied.

* * *

The first ten minutes of the meeting, were filled with the group offering Jamie and Diane well wishes and congratulations. Tony noticed that Ziva kept studying Julie's swollen stomach. Jamie let out a loud cry and then rushed out the door with Diane. Even after the two woman left, the room was abuzz with excited chatter and estimates on sizes and names. Everybody was in on the conversation, everybody except Ziva that is. After Jamie had left, she had turned her focus to her own flat stomach.

"Ziva? Are you OK?" Tony asked.

"I am getting a headache. Stay if you like but I am going to go lie down in the car." Ziva replied.

"No I can go." Tony replied.

"Are you OK to drive?" Jeff asked Ziva.

"I think so." Ziva replied.

"In that case how about you head home and I take Tony back at the end?" Jeff offered.

"Oh I can call an uber or catch a cab. No need to go out of your way." Tony replied.

"It's no trouble. You are staying on Laurel, correct?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah" Tony replied.

"My brother lives out there and I need to return a few things to him. So I can do that after I drop you off and get myself home earlier tomorrow." Jeff explained.

"That sounds good." Ziva replied.

"Are you sure you can drive?" Tony asked.

"Yes! Tony! I am fine!" Ziva snapped.

"Just asking" Tony sighed.

* * *

She knew that it was wrong but Ziva was overcome by a strong feeling of jealousy. She had only known Jamie and Diane for a few weeks and had never known not pregnant Jamie, but she did know there story. Jamie still struggled to describe the feeling of hearing only silence and the the panicked whispers of her doctors. Followed by being told that the baby had died during or delivery. She heard Diane tell how they had vowed to never even consider another pregnancy. She heard them speak of the morning they both dreamed about Jamie pregnant again and decided to try again. Still she could not hide her jealousy. She wanted to be happy for her friends but she also wanted what they had. She wanted to be pregnant again and have Tony dote on her and brag about how perfect their child was going to be. All she wanted was a baby but she knew that it wasn't going to happen. At least not anytime soon. Even if Tony were open to more children. He would probably find a better woman to have more children with.

* * *

It was hard for Tony to focus on the meeting knowing that Ziva was not feeling well. What if she had been poisoned again. Due to the crowded conditions and everybody being distracted by Jame and Diane. The support group was released ten minutes early. Jeff was talking to a Tammy and Ronald about a few private concerns. When Tony exited the church. He spotted a woman leaning against Jeff's car. He recognized her from the group but could not place her name. She was tall and slender with curly brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Howdy" The woman greeted.

"May I help you?" Tony asked.

"Oh I just wanted to meet up with you." The woman replied.

"Oh really?" Tony asked.

"Yes" The woman replied.

"I am sorry. I am blanking on your name." Tony apologized.

"Kim Bennett" Kim introduced.

"Ah Kim! How are you?" Tony asked.

"I am alright. You?" Kim asked.

"Good just worried about Ziva." Tony replied.

"She is fine." Kim assured.

"I hope so." Tony replied.

"Just trust me on it." Kim assured.

"Yeah uh so are you looking for Jeff?" Tony asked.

"Nah I am waiting for you handsome." Kim replied.

"Uh OK" Tony whined.

"I was thinking. How would you like to go out for coffee some time?" Kim asked.

"Oh that would be nice. How's Saturday at eleven?" Tony asked.

"Anytime is perfect for you." Kim replied.

"Oh OK great." Tony stammered.

* * *

It took all Tobias Fornell had not to jump out of the car, rush to Tony's side, and demanded that he not go out with that woman. She was nothing but trouble and she was bound to cause a great deal of hurt to the unsuspecting, grieving father. She was just another of Ron Sacks' minions. Though she had done plenty of damage on her own. They called her the "Support Group Killer". She would infiltrate a support group. Find an unsuspecting man or woman and act like she wanted a relationship. They called her a killer but she had been known to rape her victims as well. Tony may as well of had a giant target on his still vulnerable back.

"Watch your six, Tony." Fornell whispered.

* * *

 **A/N: Now would be a good time for Gibbs to get a gut feeling. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	36. Tony's Date

Saturday rolled around and brought with it a surreal feeling for Tony. This would be his first date since breaking things off with Zoe. He knew that he was probably rushing into things calling it a date. They were just going out for coffee and this was the first time she had asked him out. She probably just needed a friend but it was nice to have a new friend. He had kind of dropped off the Earth after Tali was killed. It was nice to be getting back on his feet again. Who knows maybe they would end up more than friends and Jonah would get a step-mother.

"Are you going out?" Ziva asked, entering Tony's room.

"Yeah" Tony replied.

"Where are you going?" Ziva asked.

"As it happens I am going out for coffee with one of the mom's from our support group." Tony replied.

"Is it ethical to date a fellow member?" Ziva asked.

"We are just friends and if we end up together we can work it out then." Tony replied.

"I don't know Tony. Stories like this rarely end well." Ziva replied.

"Mike and Molly worked out." Tony commented.

"That was a sitcom and besides over-eaters is a lot different than grieving parents." Ziva explained.

"Still they had to go above ethics. Anyway we are just friends." Tony replied.

* * *

Once again Ziva found herself overtaken by the green-eyed monster. She knew that Tony and her were not together and had not been for a long time. As far as the group knew they had been separate for a while now. They had not made any real plans to work on their romantic relationship. Gibbs wanted them to first work on their personal issues, both together and separately. Besides it was probably good for Tony to date other woman. It probably wouldn't hurt for her to date other men as well. If she could find another man willing to date somebody as broken as her.

"Ziver!" Gibbs called from downstairs.

"Yes?" Ziva called back.

"Can you do me a huge favor?" Gibbs asked.

"What?" Ziva questioned.

"McGee called me. There is a lose board on Delilah's ramp is wobbling and he can't get a hold of the landlord. I have to run out and fix it for them." Gibbs explained.

"I thought McGee could nail down a board." Ziva replied.

"He can but it might be a structural issue." Gibbs replied.

"Alright, so what do you need from me?" Ziva asked.

"Can you keep any eye on Jonah?" Gibbs asked.

"Can't Tony take him?" Ziva asked.

"No he wants it to be just Kim and him." Gibbs replied.

"So it is a date!" Ziva spat.

"No but he does need grown-up time." Gibbs replied.

"I guess you are right and I will baby-sit Jonah." Ziva replied, reluctantly.

* * *

After changing his outfit five times. Tony finally settled on a blue polo shirt and pair of nice blue jeans. He was tying his shoes when he heard the knock on the door. Seconds later he heard the door opening. Ziva was getting ready to babysit Jonah. He knew that Gibbs had opened the door. He heard somebody rushing down the staircase and unless Jonah learned how to walk in the past ten minutes. He knew that it was Ziva. He fell onto the bed and groaned. He could not believe that she was rushing down to meet his date. What was she his annoying kid sister?

"Tony! She's here!" Ziva cried.

"Be right down!" Tony called back.

* * *

Gibbs' gut was churning as soon as the door opened. There was something off about Tony's date. It wasn't his paternal anxieties. Knowing that one of his children was venturing into a new romance. No his gut was churning. Because this woman was bad news. His gut feeling was the easy part, the hard part was telling his feelings to Tony.

"Are you OK?" Ziva asked.

"Fine" Gibbs lied.

"You seem upset? Is something wrong?" Ziva asked.

"I'm fine!" Gibbs snapped.

* * *

Tony rushed down the stairs and was immediately floored. Kim wore a lovely flowing blue dress and five inch high red heels. Her hair was done and she wore red lip stick, and gold earrings. He was instantly embarrassed to be caught in his simple outfit, but it was too late to change. He came the rest of the way down the stairs and walked over to Kim. After calling a few last minutes instructions to Ziva and then made his way his car with Kim.

"So where to?" Tony asked.

"Doona's Cafe" Kim replied.

"Never heard of it." Tony replied.

"You will love it." Kim replied.

"Am I dressed for it?" Tony asked.

"Oh you're fine!" Kim replied.

"Well you are dressed up to go to a fancy restaurant." Tony observed.

"Oh this! This is nothing! Well it's something. It's just ever since I lost my Jeffery. I don't worry about special occasions anymore. Every day we are alive is a special occasion." Kim explained.

"That is very true" Tony replied.

"I know that it is not ethical to date a fellow member of the support group but you are the first to understand my pain." Kim explained.

"It is nice to have somebody I can relate to." Tony admitted.

"Are you and Ziva done then?" Kim asked.

"I don't know but this can't hurt." Tony replied.

"Well I know from my ex husband Zach. Once you are done. You should just stay done. We split up just after our son Jamie died but started dating again about a year later. We got engaged and a week before the wedding. I found out that he had never broken up with his old girlfriend. Even worse I found out because she came to my office for a pregnancy test. She was pregnant and they were going to name the baby Jeffery. Talk about insult to injury!" Kim cried.

"Wow that is terrible." Tony gasped.

"It is I miss Jamie so much." Kim sobbed.

"Wait was his name Jamie or Jeffery?" Tony asked.

"Jeffery James, we called him both." Kim replied.

"Ah" Tony replied.

"He was just four years old. He had just started school and loved it." Kim explained.

"Kim" Tony whispered.

"I'm OK" Kim replied.

"If you don't mind me asking. What happened to Jeffery?" Tony asked.

"What happened to Tali?" Kim questioned.

"She was hit by a speeding truck." Tony replied.

"It's cruel irony, that is how I lost my Jeffery." Kim explained.

"Tragic irony" Tony whispered.

* * *

 **A/N: Kim certainly has her hooks in Tony. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	37. Runaways

All it took was Tony being thirty seconds late for Gibbs' gut to go into over drive. He had been on edge ever since that woman showed up to the front door. He knew that girl was terrible news, before he even knew anything about her. He instantly regretted that he had not told Tony he could not go. He could have made up an excuse for Ziva to go with him and made Tony stay home to take care of Jonah. Now Tony was late, and he had no idea if his boy was safe or not. He just knew that he would be lost if anything happened to Tony. He was getting ready to go out and look for his agent. When at long last the door opened and Tony stepped inside.

"Your late." Gibbs remarked.

"It's like thirty seconds, dad." Tony groaned.

"Fair point, did you have a good time?" Gibbs asked.

"It was pretty good. Kim lost her son the same way I lost Tali. We talked about that and the coffee place was decent. You'd hate it but I had a good time." Tony explained.

"That's good to hear." Gibbs replied.

"Did you get Delilah's ramp fixed?" Tony asked.

"Oh yeah it was a real simple fix, McGee just panicked." Gibbs replied.

"Typical Probie" Tony laughed.

"Excuse me! His fiancee is paralyzed from the waist down! Do you know how scary that is! What if there had been an emergency! How dare you make light! Like you could fix anything! You big, fat, doofus" Ziva snapped.

"What's eating her?" Tony asked.

"She's just having a rough day." Gibbs replied.

"Your son is asleep upstairs. You may want to go check on him or don't. If he gets SIDS I bet you will just fuck Kim and make another! Children are so replaceable to you!" Ziva screamed.

* * *

Tony made the conscientious decision to just go upstairs and check on Jonah. No sense making Ziva anymore angry than she was already was. Still he couldn't help but wonder what was going on with her. They had been getting along so well lately. He hadn't done anything to upset her or at least he didn't think that he had. It wasn't around the anniversary or the deaths of any of her family or their birthdays. Maybe she was just really missing Tali that day, or maybe it was that time of the month. Whatever it was. He made a mental note to lay low until she cooled down a bit. He looked down into the crib at his sleeping son. He wished that the boy had a loving woman to call his mother. Zoe had never wanted him and Kim was nice. He liked her he really did but he didn't like, like her. As childish as that sounded. He had no romantic attachment to her. Still he had taken her up on her offer for dinner at her place the following Friday. If his feelings didn't change. He would let her down easy there but tell her that they could still be friends. He could really use a good friend right now. Jimmy, Abby, and McGee were great but they had no idea how he was feeling. Gibbs did but Gibbs was Gibbs. He thought that Ziva could be that friend, but she was still pissed at him. He didn't blame her but still he wished that things could just go back to the way that they were. He yearned for Ziva to tease him and for him to tease her back. He longed for them to not be fighting all the time. He just wanted his old life back and if he was feeling that way. He could imagine how Ziva, must be feeling.

* * *

Tobias Fornell took it as a good sign that he had not yet received a panicked call from Gibbs. Either telling him that Tony was in danger or worse that something had already happened. Still he found himself just hanging out around the house, his cellphone in hand. At some point Emily had gone out to get groceries and he had barely even mumbled a goodbye. He was just waiting for the call to come. When evening came and the call still hadn't come. He could not handle waiting anymore. It was not long before he was frantically dialing Gibbs' number.

"Gibbs"

"Jethro it's Tobias."

"Fornell? What's going on? Are you and Emily alright?"

"We're fine. Where's Tony?"

"He's in the kitchen feeding Jonah."

"How was his date?"

"His date was good. Why?"

"That girl he's dating. Jethro, she is terrible news."

"What do you mean?"

"She's murdered nine people. She uses aliases and disguises but this time she slipped up and only changed her hair."

"What? I mean how could she hurt Tony? Why would she hurt Tony?"

"She's one of Ron's minions. He helps her get off and trust me you don't want to know what she will do to Tony. Just know that she infiltrates support groups and preys on vulnerable men. She hasn't even lost a child."

"Shit"

"Yeah, I am taking a huge risk telling you this much but I cannot wait until she hurts him. Just watch his six and make sure he doesn't get too close."

"Yeah I'll do that, thanks."

* * *

Gibbs hung up his phone and let it fall to the floor. A sick feeling overtook his body. He knew that Kim was trouble but he didn't think she was that bad. He didn't want to believe that she would murder Tony. He had to do something and fast, or else he'd be burying another child.

"Boss? Is everything OK?" Tony asked.

"You can't see Kim anymore!" Gibbs barked.

"What? Why?" Tony asked.

"She's bad news." Gibbs replied.

"What is it with you and Ziva? Why can't you just let me live life!" Tony demanded.

"NO! I am a grown man! Not sixteen year old kid! Stop controlling me!" Tony spat, before he stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Jonah confused and alone in his high chair.

* * *

Ziva threw herself down on her bed. She hated Tony for going out on a date, she hated Gibbs for just letting it happen. Seriously what was wrong with that man? He said that his gut was churning but he didn't do anything about it. It was like everybody in the universe was against her. She made a huge mistake leaving Israel. At least in Israel she was free. She had no idea why she listened to Gibbs. He never had her interests in heart. He was only concerned about the well being of Tony. Well Tony was a bastard. Sick of the sexism and betrayal, she knew that she had no choice, she tossed her belongings in her suitcase, scribbled a note, and waited. Once she heard Gibbs go down to the basement, she quietly sneaked out of the house. She was going home.

* * *

 **A/N: Both Tony and Ziva on the lam. What will Gibbs do? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	38. Fall Out

It was a long night for Jethro Gibbs, but he knew that he had to let Tony go. He knew that Tony was just fogged by his grief and needed his space. Still the fear was surging through his body. What if he had gone back to that woman? What if she had already brought harm to him? Why couldn't Fornell have said something sooner or gone directly to Tony? Why the hell did the first person Tony had trusted with his broken heart, have to be such terrible news? The minutes turned to hours and after a while he gave up and headed down to the basement. He couldn't seem to get focused on his project but he didn't want to go up to the empty house. Jonah was sleeping up in Tony's room and Ziva was moping around in hers. He hated it when his children were angry with him. It took a lot longer than he expected but eventually the baby started to cry. While he was trying to sooth the infant, who wanted only for his father. He found himself standing outside of Ziver's room. He knocked on the door but received no response. He could see that the light was on, so he carefully opened the door. The room was bare except for the furniture, sitting on the desk was a small white sheet of paper. Shifting Jonah to one arm. He picked the paper up off the desk. It was a note in Ziva's handwriting.

" _To whoever finds this,_

 _I am sick of the bullshit that is this house. I am sick of Gibbs' blatant sexism and bro treatment of Tony. I am sick of Tony's lack of care for Tali. It is clear that he has replaced her and that he never truly cared for her. Yet still everybody is expecting me to feel as bad for Tony as they do for him. It is almost like they forget that I was Tali's mother. It destroys me that, that monster had her when I did not. Anyway I cannot speak to you people anymore. I may return but most likely I will not. It is clear that Israel is my home. America is merely my place of hurt._

 _Ziva D."_

* * *

It would be three days before Ziva could get a ticket to Israel. She did not have money for a hotel and she had foolishly squandered her apartment. When she thought that she could work things out with Tony. How dumb could she be? How could she expect Tony to change? People like Tony did not change. They did not grow. Fatherhood had somehow made him into a worse human being. At least his love them and leave them attitude with woman did not add blood shed to the heart break. With the exception of the girl who tried to kill herself after he dumped her. Yet another instance of her blindly believing in Tony's innocence. It made her sick to her stomach, to think that she had once liked him. With no where else to go. She found herself outside the shelter.

"I am sorry mam but I cannot admit you this late." The man apologized.

"Why not?" Ziva asked.

"We close up at seven-thirty. Unless you are escaping domestic violence or have a child under the age of sixteen." The man explained,

"My ex-boyfriend is a jackass. Does that count?" Ziva joked.

"I am afraid not." The man replied.

"What am I supposed to do?!" Ziva demanded.

"There's a church just up the road. The youth pastor lives adjacent to the premise and he will take people in if they cannot be admitted to this shelter." The man explained.

"How long will he let you stay?" Ziva asked.

"As long as you need. So long as you either seek employment of assist around the church." The man explained.

"I only need three days. I cannot fly home until then." Ziva explained.

"Ah well then you should be set with volunteer work, best of luck to you." The man replied.

* * *

Tony sat alone in the dark corner of David's Pub. He'd only had three drinks but he was fuzzy headed and drained. He knew that he was in no condition to drive but he was also too pissed to call Gibbs or even Ziva. He knew that Jimmy was not cleared to drive yet, Ducky was already asleep, and Vance likely was too. He did not want to disturb McGee. Bishop hated driving at night and if he called Abby. He would just get a lecture on drinking too much. The way he saw it, he only had one choice. He unlocked his phone and dialed Kim's number.

"Hello?"

"Kim it's Tony."

"Oh Tony! How are you?!"

"I am alright but I had a fight with Gibbs and ended up at the bar."

"So your drunk?"

"Buzzed is more appropriate but I am not comfortable driving. A DWI could cost me everything."

"I am so glad you are thinking that way."

"Great now can you help me out?"

"Of course do you want me to order an Uber for you, or pick you up myself?"

"I need to see you again."

"Which bar are you at?"

"David's Pub"

"That is right near my house. I will be right there."

"Thank you, Kimmy."

"It is no trouble Tony, just sit tight."

"I cannot wait to see you again."

"And I you."

* * *

Lane could not believe her luck. This had to be her easiest prey yet. Normally it took weeks or months for a man to warm himself to her. This idiot had fallen for her after one date. Even better his defenses were down and everybody else he knew was pissed at him. By the time anybody came looking for him. If they ever did. He would be cold and dead. Once he was gone. She would take her payout from Ronald Sacks, enjoy herself until the money ran low, and then move on to the next victim.

"Oh Tony DiNozzo, you stupid old man. I hope you are looking forward to seeing your daughter again. Because you will be with her soon." Lane said to herself.

* * *

 **A/N: Will Tony be able to save himself or will he have to wait for Gibbs to come to the rescue? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	39. Walking Into Trouble

It wasn't exactly a fight, not even a disagreement, but still Tony was left feeling raw. He wondered why everybody was so against him searching for love. Ziva was one thing. Even though they had never been married or even engaged. Because of Tali, they may as well have been a separated couple. She at least had her right to jealousy. Gibbs on the other hand had no right to his opinions. Seriously what business was it to Gibbs? He was not Gibbs' son and even if he were. He was a grown ass man, not a teenager. He could date whoever he wanted to.

"So what happened between you and Gibbs?" Kim asked.

"He was giving me crap about you." Tony replied.

"Oh?" Kim asked.

"He says that you are bad news. Apparently a friend of his told him that much." Tony explained.

"Was it that Israeli chick? She's a crazy one." Kim asked.

"No and Ziva's actually not that bad." Tony replied.

"Alright well who was it then?" Kim asked.

"This friend of his from the FBI, I thought he was my friend too but I guess not." Tony explained.

"The FBI? That explains it." Kim replied.

"Oh?" Tony asked.

"A few years ago. Just after my divorce, I got in a relationship with an FBI agent. He was married but I didn't know it. After his wife started sniffing around. He claimed that I pursued him. Get this he said I forced myself on him. What a crock. Anyway ever since they have been out to get me." Kim explained.

"It can't be that bad." Tony offered.

"Oh Tony you are so naive." Kim laughed.

"If it helps at all. I will never turn on you." Tony assured.

"Good" Kim replied, darkly as she stroked Tony's cheek just a little too hard.

* * *

Ziva couldn't get a room at the church but the minister payed for her to spend the night in a motel. He also left his number and said he would pay for up to a week if her flight fell through. It was nice to know that at least somebody was looking out for her. Not wanting to go into details she had simply told the pastor that she was going through a bad breakup and needed to get home. The motel was a simple roadside motel, far from fancy, but not a terrible place. The TV was out in Ziva's room but she did not care one bit. All she wanted to do was sleep through the night. When she woke she would be free to return to her home. Where people respected her and not some idiot.

* * *

Fearing for his son's life. Gibbs found himself searching the places Tony frequented. There were only a handful of places Tony actually went to on a regular basis. The restaurants he frequented had long since shut down for the night and he was unseen at Shirley's and the Waffle House down the road. That left the bars. There were only three bars that Tony ever went to, when he was alone anyway. One was a local Navy Pub known as Anchor's Away but he only went there for All Hero's Night. The other was O'Connor's but that was his date pub. The last was David's Pub, that was the one he went to when he just needed to get away from it all. Making sure to cover all bases, he called both Anchor's Away and O'Connor's but he had not been seen at either location. Lastly he dialed the number for David's.

"David's Pub"

"This is Jethro Gibbs."

"How may I help you, Mr. Gibbs?"

"I am looking for a friend of mine. Is there a Tony DiNozzo there?"

"Tony was here earlier but he just left."

"He did? Did he say anything about returning home?"

"He'd had a bit much to drink and called a friend to take him back to her place."

"Her place?"

"Yeah he said something about a fight with his roommate."

"Ah uh did he give the friend's name?"

"Something with a K. Anyway she was pretty hot. It would be nice if he finally found a nice girl. After all he's been through. He deserves it."

"He does uh thanks."

"No trouble."

* * *

His worst fear had come true, Tony was in the clutches of Kim. At this point he needed to call in the Calvary. The FBI was investigating Tali's death and Kim was somehow tangled up in this web of grief and torment. It was Fornell's place to find Tony, not his or NCIS's. At least he could count on his friend to save his son and bring that monster of a woman down.

"You have reached Tobias Fornell."

"Tobias it's Gibbs."

"Gibbs? What's going on?"

"Tony went to her, Tobias? He just went to her."

"Kim?"

"Yeah"

"Shit, I'm on it."

"Thank you"

"No trouble and don't worry. I will save our boy."

* * *

It was beyond late and Tony was beyond exhausted. He just wanted this miserable excuse for a day to be over. He was furious with Gibbs and he felt as if he were taking advantage of Kim. He had no real desire to have a romantic relationship with her and yet she was the first he had called. She was so vulnerable and probably thought he wanted something out of her. He looked over at Kim who sat up watching the news.

"I think I am going to head to bed." Tony yawned.

"Guest room is down the hall on the left." Kim replied.

"Great, see you in the morning. I'll take you for pancakes." Tony promised.

"That sounds nice." Kim commented.

"Great, Shirley's has the best." Tony replied.

"Not a fan of Shirley's but I'll take your word for it." Kim replied.

"You'll love them." Tony assured.

"Do you have clothes?" Kim asked.

"No" Tony replied.

"My ex was about your size, I should have something in the drawer. Keep it I just kept it to spite his ass." Kim

* * *

At least Kim had guided him to the guest room. Of course she did. What kind of idiot was he? Assuming that a woman wanted a piece of him. Just because he had invited himself over to her house. Jesus, what example did he set for Tali? Had he been like this when she was alive. He came to the guest room and opened the door. According to Kim there were clothes in the drawer. He flicked on the light and was instantly taken aback. The room was filled of pictures but not the pictures he was expecting. They were not of Kim's lost son, old friends, or even her ex. They were all photographs of him and Tali. Some were taken at the park, some were taken at sporting events, others at Chuck E Cheese's and other public locations, but most were taken in his own home. In his backyard and inside the house. Even more disturbing was a bloodied t-shirt, pair of jean shorts, and sparkly flip-flops. The exact outfit Tali had been wearing the day that she died. The outfit he had assumed had been incinerated at the hospital. He heard footsteps coming down the hall and whirled around. Kim was now standing in the doorway.

"K...Kim?" Tony stammered.

"I'm sorry, Tony. I really am." Kim replied, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

 **A/N: Will Tony be able to escape? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	40. Spared

The room's lack of light left Tony guessing on what time it was and how much time had passed. He could not believe that he a seasoned federal agent, had gotten himself into this shit storm. He had no idea why he didn't listen to Gibbs' warnings. Seriously when had Gibbs ever warned him about a relationship? Even when Ziva and him were secretly messing around. Gibbs hadn't said anything and of course Gibbs knew. Gibbs knew everything. How could he have been so stupid? How could he let this happen to himself? How could he let this happen to Jonah? He should have been home taking care of his baby boy instead of off pouting "because daddy was being unfair." He could not imagine getting anymore pathetic. Having no clue how much time had passed was a pretty big drag but what was worse. Was not knowing that anybody was out looking for him. He kind of doubted that anybody cared. Ziva was pissed and Gibbs was probably just waiting for him to come back tail between his legs, ready to apologize. He must have fallen asleep for a time because when he woke his face was itchy and numb and his arms bared carpet marks. The door opened and Kim stepped inside, she had a small brown tray.

"Alright I brought you food. I would relieve yourself now. I have to get to work and who knows when I will be back." Kim explained.

"Any reason you are doing this?" Tony asked.

"Your a federal agent figure it out. Anyway bathroom and then eat up." Kim replied.

* * *

In just a few more hours Ziva would be on her flight home. She would soon be back in her homeland. The place she should have never left in the first place. If she had never accepted the mission to kill Ari she would have never ended up in this mess. She would have never met Tony or Gibbs, she would have never gotten pregnant by Tony, Tali would have never existed. Not that any of that mattered. If she had refused to kill Ari, Eli would have declared her rogue and she would be in the ground right beside Ari. Who would have probably brought hell to the United States and Israel. He would have probably bumped off team Gibbs one by one. She hated Tony but she didn't think he deserved to be murdered.

* * *

Gibbs was pretty much useless to the investigation. He was so focused on his concerns for Tony's life and well being. Part of him wanted to wring Tony's neck for being such a jackass but that was not the part that would greet Tony. The part that would greet Tony. Was the part of him who just wanted to hold his boy in his arms. When Tony was found he would probably give him a giant slap to the back of the head but that would come in the middle of a giant hug. This scenario was the one where Tony was found alive. He didn't even want to contemplate the other scenario.

"We'll find him alive." Fornell assured almost reading his thoughts.

"How could he have been so stupid?" Gibbs asked.

"Grief makes you do crazy things, crazy, stupid things. You of all people should know that." Fornell reminded.

"I married Diane." Gibbs laughed.

"Hey!" Fornell warned.

"Sorry" Gibbs apologized.

"We're good" Fornell assured.

"So did you do anything crazy after Diane's death?" Gibbs asked.

"Well you know about the DUI. What you don't know is that I stole a tiger from the zoo." Fornell replied.

"A tiger? You stole a tiger? Wouldn't that have made ZNN?" Gibbs asked.

"When I came down it was a stuffed animal and I had to pay for the new claw machine for the Walmart on Kings Crossing." Fornell explained.

"To be fair that's something you would have done even if Diane were alive." Gibbs laughed.

"Watch it Leroy." Fornell warned,

"Anything else?" Gibbs asked.

"I let Emily get a tattoo." Fornell replied.

"Oh?" Gibbs asked.

"MOM, between to golden wings. It's on her ankle." Fornell explained.

"Emily does not seem like the tattoo type." Gibbs replied.

"Grief makes you do crazy things. Now let's find your boy before you end up dancing in the middle of the belt way in a cocktail dress." Fornell teased.

"I won't go that crazy." Gibbs assured.

"You married Diane in her wild years." Fornell reminded.

* * *

Tony's meal consisted of a glass of warm milk, a scoop of cottage cheese and two small pear slices, a slice of dry toast, and some form of meat that was somehow both chewy and mushy at the same time. It was hands down the least appetizing meal he had ever seen, but he didn't know when he would be fed again and he needed to keep his defenses up. He wolfed down his meal and went on to focus on not vomiting the whole thing back up. It was not long before he was light headed and dizzy. The door opened just as he was going down but he had no awareness that anybody had even entered the room.

* * *

Lane entered Tony's cell and smiled at the sight of him lying unconscious on the floor. He was a big guy and that's why she had gone ahead and given him two roofies. She pulled down his pants, had her fun, and then let him sleep. He was going to need his rest for the coming days. She was going to wait until he had no fight left in him and then she was going to make him watch as she tortured him to death. She refilled his dishes with the same meal he'd had that afternoon and left it sitting out on the counter. She placed a roach motel on the tray and waited as the bugs infiltrated his meal and died in and around his food. She scooped the visible roaches up, tossed them in the blender with some powdered milk and water. She poured the concoction in the glass and placed it on the tray. She was getting ready to go in and have more fun with the unconscious Tony. When she heard a knock on the door. It was her neighbor. The overly happy blonde from across the street, the one with the dorky husband, and the hideous toddler. The husband had almost died a few weeks ago but of course he had pulled through at the last minute and now they were back to the disgusting family across the street.

"May I help you?" Lane asked.

"My husband had a heart transplant a few weeks ago and is required to take anti-rejection pills. He has a prescription in and my car broke down. I was wondering if I could bum a ride to the drug-store. I will pay you for gas and cover any groceries you need." Breena offered.

"I uh I have a guest." Lane lied.

"Well do you know any neighbors who may be able to help me?" Breena asked.

"Don't you have a cellphone?" Lane asked.

"Not at the moment. Jimmy is at rehab and since our daughter decided to give his phone a bath last night. He borrowed mine." Breena explained.

"Don't you have family?" Lane asked.

"My dad but he isn't going to get home until five." Breena replied.

"Oh alright. So where's the kid?" Lane asked.

"Stephanie Roberts from next-door is baby-sitting her." Breena replied.

"Alright well I need to put some food up and I will be ready to go." Lane replied.

"Can I use your bathroom? If I go back in my house my daughter will start crying." Breena asked.

"Go ahead, it's at the end of the hall." Lane replied.

* * *

Breena made her way upstairs and opened each of the hallway doors until she found what she was looking for. Tony was lying in the middle of the floor of the darkened room. She heard footsteps and knew that she was going to have to fight.

"What are you doing in here?!" Lane demanded.

"What's he doing in here?" Breena questioned.

"He passed out drunk." Lane laughed.

"Why are his pants down?" Breena asked.

"Who knows, he's drunk." Lane replied.

"I don't smell any alcohol." Breena remarked.

"I thought you needed your husbands pills." Lane commented.

"Nah we filled that last night. Then we went to a midnight matinee because my dad had our daughter for the night. So were were coming home. Just when you were bringing Tony inside. Fun fact, Tony is one of my husband's best friends. So you can imagine that I am not thrilled to know that you have taken advantage of him." Breena explained.

"How do you?" Lane asked.

"My dad is a mortician. I know what it looks like when somebody is raped and you are damn lucky that Tony isn't on my dad's table. Because you see, my husband's co-workers would come after you and there wouldn't be enough for an autopsy." Breena explained.

"Lucky it's just you." Lane remarked.

"Well I wouldn't say lucky." Breena smirked.

* * *

Breena lunged for Lane, grabbing her by the wrists. Lane kneed Breena in the crotch but she did not even flinch, she twisted Lane's wrist and flipped her onto her back. She kicked Lane in the side and drug her into the hallway. Once in the hall she kicked Lane hard in the head and sat on her back, and dialed 911.

"Yes this is Breena Palmer, I found Agent DiNozzo in the home across the street from mine."

"Yes that is my address."

"No the abductor is presently incapacitated."

"The victim appears to have been sexually assaulted but is other wise unharmed."

"Great, thanks"

* * *

 **A/N: Tony's safe and even better it was Breena who saved him. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	41. Pain and Fear

When it was all said and done Breena was shocked by what she had done. She felt no remorse for her actions this Lane, Kim, or whoever she was, was bad news. She would gladly beat that bitch senseless again and again. The big surprise was that she had been so strong and forceful. She had taken a self defense course a few years back but she didn't think she had absorbed that much. When the authorities arrived she informed that she was pregnant and one of the officers insisted on driving her to the hospital to get checked out. Mercifully baby Palmer was doing just fine. Though the doctors did advise against getting into anymore altercations. She couldn't help but laugh at that one. She was typically a pacifist but this anger had been burning inside of her since she heard that Jimmy was shot and in critical condition. She had transformed that anger into caring for Jimmy and nursing him back to health, but still it was boiling underneath. Well it had finally come to head when she saw what that crazy bitch had done to Tony. She would be the first to admit she was not exactly president of the Tony DiNozzo fan-club but he was one of Jimmy's closest friends. He really was a good guy deep down and most of all nobody deserved to be raped. Well maybe rapists and pedophiles but not innocent people.

"Breena? Are you alright?" Ed cried, rushing into her room.

"Fine they are just keeping me overnight to monitor the baby." Breena replied.

"Is their a problem?" Ed asked.

"No it's strictly precautionary." Breena explained.

"Good" Ed replied.

"Please don't be mad." Breena pleaded.

"I am not mad. Just confused." Ed replied.

"Our neighbor hurt my friend. I had to defend him and myself." Breena explained.

"I know but you could have been killed, the baby could have been killed." Ed explained.

"I know that now but in the moment I was just so angry and afraid." Breena explained.

"Adrenalin is a powerful thing." Ed admitted.

"I know, believe me and then I have had this anger since Jimmy got shot. Not knowing if he would live or not. Knowing that it had been done to him intentionally. I just freaked out." Breena explained.

"I get that believe me but I still have to worry." Ed replied.

"I know" Breena assured.

"That's my girl. I am going to step out and let Jimmy come in real quick and I will bring Tori by later on if you want." Ed explained.

"I would love that." Breena replied.

"Excellent but I do want you to rest as much as possible." Ed insisted.

"The doctors gave me the same orders but I just want to see my family." Breena replied.

"I understand. I am going to get Tori, do you want me to ask after your friend?" Ed asked.

"He's one of Jimmy's co-workers. He will be able to get updates easier." Breena explained.

"Alright" Ed replied.

* * *

Rage surged through Gibbs' body as he waited for an update on Tony's condition. He could not believe that such a horrible thing had been done to his boy. He wanted to pulverize the "woman" who had attacked Tony. They had caught the bitch but they still had to do a kit on him. Just in case she had any diseases. Due to the circumstances he had opted to tell the others not to come just yet. He wanted to see how Tony was doing before he allowed any visitors. He had also chosen to withhold the details until Tony was ready to reveal what had happened.

"Agent Gibbs" Tony's doctor called.

"How is he?" Gibbs asked.

"We won't get the results from the rape kit back for another few days but his other tests came back normal. We want to keep him a little longer for observation but he is well enough to come home tonight. When we do release him we would prefer that he come home with a friend." Dr. Carter explained.

"I can take care of him." Gibbs replied.

"Great" Dr. Carter replied.

"Is he up for visitors?" Gibbs asked.

"He is asking for you." Dr. Carter replied.

"Anyone else?" Gibbs asked.

"Not that I heard." Dr. Carter replied.

"Does he know?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes" Dr. Carter sighed.

"How did he take it?" Gibbs asked.

"He's pretty stressed but we have referred him to a counselor." Dr. Carter replied.

"He will only speak with one shrink. Her name is Rachel Cranston and I will call her." Gibbs explained.

"Alright" Dr. Carter replied.

"Any other instructions?" Gibbs asked.

"Just let Tony be in control, don't force him to talk about anything, and don't show any feelings. I get that you are afraid and angry but don't express that around Tony. He will assume that you are angry with him for being raped." Dr. Carter explained.

"Alright" Gibbs agreed.

"Oh and Gibbs he's going to be OK." Dr. Carter assured.

* * *

Tony faced away from the door. He could not believe he had let himself get raped. They said he had been roofied but that didn't matter. He was a man. He knew how sexist that sounded but he was too pissed off and afraid to care. What made it worse he was a fed. He caught these sons of bitches, he didn't fall into their traps. He wanted Gibbs but he doubted that Gibbs wanted him. He had let his daughter get murder and he had let himself get raped.

"Whatever you're thinking about me is not true." A stern voice called.

"So you don't think I am weak and stupid?" Tony questioned.

"I can't say going off with a woman the FBI warned you about was your smartest move but you are not stupid." Gibbs explained.

"Am I going to be OK?" Tony asked.

"They are waiting for the results of the rape kit and the emotional journey will be long but I am going to arrange a meeting with Dr. Cranston and I have your six." Gibbs explained.

"Can we not tell the others?" Tony asked.

"It is between you and me." Gibbs vowed.

* * *

 **A/N: Tony's got a long road ahead of him but he has Gibbs and to an extent the others. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	42. He Needs You

That first night was rough on Tony. The fear ready set in after visiting hours ended and Gibbs left for the night. Sleep did not find him that night. Just the memories of the previous night and day. He had been unconscious for the ordeal but he had a pretty good idea of what had happened. He was filled with regret over every decision he had made in the past forty-eight hours. He wanted Gibbs by his side to assure him that he was going to be OK. He wanted to have never gone off with Kim. He just wanted to be normal again. Between Tali's death, the drama with Ziva, and now being assaulted by Kim. He doubted that he would ever be normal again. He wondered if he even remembered what normal was. It had been so long since he'd had stability in his life.

* * *

The good news was that Tony was still alive after his ordeal with Kim. The bad was that something terrible had happened to him. Gibbs hadn't told McGee exactly what had happened but the young agent had a pretty good idea. If his suspicions were correct he knew better than to bring it up around Tony and he sure as hell knew it was going to be a long road. A long road that Tony could not walk alone. Of course Gibbs, himself, Abby, Bishop, Vance, Ducky, and the Palmer's would be by his side but there was one person Tony would need. Unfortunately the person Tony needed most right now was presently pissed off at him and more than likely back in Israel by now. Still it was worth giving a try. With Delilah sound asleep by his side. He pulled himself out of bed, scribbled a note for Delilah, and headed off towards NCIS headquarters.

"Evening Agent McGee. What brings you here? Haven't heard of any cases." Jack greeted as McGee drove through security.

"I need to track somebody." McGee replied.

"Uh that's going to get both of us in trouble." Jack commented.

"I need to find Ziva." McGee replied.

"Ziva David?" Jack asked.

"Do you know any others?" McGee questioned.

"She's down at the Safe Haven the priest from Trinity Catholic runs." Jack replied.

"How do you know?" McGee asked.

"My wife is a nurse moonlights as the nurse at the big shelter and she said the guard sent Ziva there. Any idea what's up? Safe Haven is typically for battered woman. Tony isn't, is he? He doesn't seem like the kind but who knows." Jack explained.

"Tony would never hit a woman at least not an innocent one. He did have a fight with Ziva and she ran off but Gibbs said she was flying back to Israel. Any chance she is still at Safe Haven?" McGee asked.

"Not sure and Sarah really isn't supposed to talk about who comes in and out." Jack replied.

"Do you have the address?" McGee asked.

"Yeah pull in and I will get it for you." Jack replied.

"Great" McGee replied.

* * *

After getting the address to the Safe Haven from Jack. McGee was back on the road. He knew that it was a long shot. History had proven that once Ziva ran off to Israel, it was not easy to get her back. The first time it had literally taken rescuing her from pirates and the second it was only because Gibbs had dragged her back. He pulled into the priest's house and knocked on the door.

"May I help you?" Father Robert asked.

"Yes I am looking for my friend." McGee replied.

"Is she checked into Safe Haven?" Father Robert asked.

"Yes" McGee replied.

"I am sorry but I cannot release that information." Father Robert replied.

"Are men ever admitted to Safe Haven?" McGee asked.

"They can be but you would have to go to the hotel." Father Robert replied.

"What hotel is that?" McGee asked.

"Look if you are in trouble I will help you but I cannot risk any of the families or women who come through Safe Haven." Father Robert apologized.

* * *

Ziva grabbed a clean outfit from her suitcase and tossed the dirty outfit back into the back. Her flight was due to take off first thing in the morning. She longed to be back in her homeland in her olive grove and in a new farmhouse. She was getting ready to climb into bed when her phone buzzed. She let out a groan of annoyance and reached for the buzzing rectangle.

"Hello?"

"Ziva it's me."

"McGee? What do you want? I moved on."

"Ziva I know you are mad but Tony is in trouble."

"What did he do now?"

"That girl Kim was major trouble and she hurt him really bad. He's at Bethesda for the night but they are releasing him in the morning."

"Jesus, Tony was attacked by a woman?"

"Gibbs wouldn't tell us exactly but yeah I have a good idea of what happened."

"Why didn't he tell me?"

"I guess he figured you wouldn't care."

"Well I don't. Oh who am I kidding. Of course I do. Is he still with Gibbs?"

"Yeah"

"Great, thanks"

* * *

Leave it Tony to make her feel sorry for him. Right when she was the most angry with him. She had no idea how somebody like Tony could be attacked by a woman. Tony was the strongest man she had ever met. How could he have fallen for Kim in the first place? How could Gibbs have not seen this coming? How could she have let this happen? Oh that's right she had tried to stop it but Tony had assumed that she was just jealous and maybe she was but still that Kim was bad news. She would cancel her flight in the morning and eat the money. Who was she kidding. She could never leave that crazy family of hers behind forever. She had tried twice and look where it had gotten her.

* * *

 **A/N: Will Tony and Ziva be able to work things out this time? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	43. Finding The Light

Being released from the hospital was a bittersweet experience for Tony. Naturally he was bursting to go home. Hospitals were definitely his least favorite places on the planet, but going home was not going to be so easy this time. Going home would mean the start of recovery. He had therapy appointments with Rachel and he was under psychiatric watch. He was pretty much back at square one when it came to returning to NCIS's employ. He refused to work in the field again. At least not until he was in a stable relationship with a woman willing to be mother to Jonah, but he still had to pass evaluations before he could return to work. He knew why these rules were in place but still it was frustrating. In a way he missed teaching but the school would never take him back. He had been such a jackass about their requirements to return to his coaching position. He was in mourning for his child but still he could have taken his job a little more seriously. Maybe if he had taken life seriously. He would not have been raped. He may even still have his baby girl in his arms. Instead of in the ground. Tears flowed from his eyes and on to the light blue jeans that Gibbs had brought for his homecoming.

"It wasn't your fault." Gibbs assured.

"What wasn't? The rape? My daughter being murdered in front of me? Ziva leaving because I was being such a jackass?" Tony questioned.

"None of it." Gibbs assured.

"Then why does it feel that way?" Tony asked.

"Because that's how it is for all victims." Gibbs assured.

* * *

Ziva pulled into Gibbs' driveway a little after ten in the morning. She could not believe that she was back here again. This was her routine. She would run away and come back. That's how it had been for her entire adult life. She did not want to get into the psychiatric reasoning behind that. Being reminded that she was the way she was because of her father's abuse. Besides she was not going to run off again. Running away never worked out for her. She was always looking for home but this was home. Israel was her homeland and by that extension her home, but DC was her home. She was Gibbs' daughter, McGee and Abby's sister, and she was Tony's lover. They would work things out and one day she would bring another child into the world. This child would not die but would grow up to be a happy and vibrant gift. Who would play with Jonah and hear stories of his or her big sister who was no longer living.

"Glad you came back," McGee greeted.

"What can I say? This is home." Ziva replied.

"Good" McGee replied.

"So are we having a big homecoming celebration for Tony?" Ziva asked.

"No Gibbs said that he did not want a big deal. I am just here to drop off some things for Tony to cheer him up." McGee explained.

"Oh that's nice." Ziva replied.

"I don't think it will help very much but at least he will know that people care about him. That is what he needs most right now." McGee explained.

"Isn't that the truth." Ziva agreed.

* * *

Upon arriving home Tony did not make a sound. He just climbed out of the car and headed for the house. There were three cars in the parking lot. Ducky had kept Jonah for the night so that was not surprising. McGee was just backing out of the driveway by the time Tony noticed his car. The third car belonged to Ziva. Needless to say he was in shock. Last night Gibbs had told him that she was not going to be coming back. She had left for Israel. Well apparently even the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs could be wrong sometimes and this was a pretty damn good time for him to be wrong.

"Jonah's upstairs with Ducky." Ziva explained.

"Ziva? What are you doing here? Gibbs said that you had left." Tony commented.

"I heard that you were in trouble. So I came back." Ziva explained.

"You aren't going to leave again? Right?" Tony asked.

"No Tony I am never going to leave you again. I am going to get you through whatever happened to you with Kim and then we are going to work it out. We are going to be a family. After all of this it has to be meant to be." Ziva explained.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked.

"I promise, I cannot leave this is my home." Ziva assured.

"Well then welcome home." Tony replied.

"Welcome home." Ziva replied.

* * *

It was not an easy thing but Tony eventually overcame his ordeal. It was made easy by the fact that he had Ziva and Gibbs by his side. Dr. Kate's sister was a tremendous help as well and he got a ton of support from his grieving parents support group. He learned that he would never one hundred percent get over being raped and losing Tali, but what he could do and what he did. Was learn how to live again.

* * *

Kim's arrest lead the FBI straight to Sacks and Orli. Once they had been caught out right they had no legs to stand on and were soon sentenced. Kim was given a fifty year sentence. At age forty-five it was doubtful that she would ever see the light of day again. Orli received a life sentence thanks to terrorism charges. Sacks was handed two life sentences for the murder of Tali, the attempted murder of Terry and two other little girls, and the attempted murder of Jimmy Palmer. Tony and Ziva faced them in court but would never have to see those monsters again. They were locked away, right where they belonged.

* * *

Jimmy Palmer recovered from his heart transplant and was soon accepted into a clinical trial that may just give his new heart a longer life-span. Something that came to a great relief to Breena. Shortly after Jimmy entered the trial. Breena gave birth to the Palmer's second child. This time it was a baby boy whom the would call David Anthony.

* * *

McGee and Delilah went on to live their own lives. Gibbs retired to care for Tony and Jonah. Making McGee the Agent in Charge of the Major Case Response Team. Delilah gave birth to a baby girl whom they would call Johanna Penelope.

* * *

Knowing his boy's need. Gibbs retired from NCIS and stepped up to help Tony and Ziva raise their family. He was at long last happy and would not trade his new life for the world.

* * *

Ducky, Abby, and Bishop went on to live their own lives. Ducky retired shortly after Gibbs and ended up relocating back to the United Kingdom. It was a hard transition but the old man spent his final days in peace and joy. Abby remained at NCIS as she always would and ended up married to the temporary agent Vance hired when she was recovering from an emergency appendectomy. They had one child a boy by the name of Walter Evan Hart. Bishop eventually became engaged to a man by the name of Tucker and they relocated to Wyoming. She had a son named Fredrick but that was the last anybody heard from her.

* * *

Tony and Ziva were wed on an unusually cool day in August. Far from cold but some guest dawned windbreakers for their early evening beach wedding. Ziva adopted two year old Jonah but still yearned for her own family. Six months later she was granted her wish. When they were told she was expecting a set of twins. Four months after that she was told she was going to have a boy and a girl. Five months after that she gave birth to two beautiful and perfect babies. The little boy was called Isiah Jackson and the girl was called Sarah Joy. Two years later Ziva gave birth to their third and final child a pleasant surprise, baby girl whom they would call Gabrielle Breena. They struggled every day with the loss of their first daughter but with the support and love of their family. They only grew as a family and all of their surviving children were always surrounded by love.

* * *

 **FIN**

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the abrupt ending but I have done all I can do with this story. Anyway what did you think? Thanks to all who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed.**


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